Boxing Day Test: Bumrah Haul Gives India The Lead

Melbourne:Pacer Jasprit Bumrah shone with the cherry, taking six wickets to skittle Australia out for a paltry 151, and help India gain a massive 292-run first innings lead on day 3 of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here on Friday.

Bumrah rattled the Aussie batting line-up by accounting for the wickets of opener Marcus Harris (22), Shaun Marsh (19), Travis Head (20), skipper Tim Paine (22) and the tailenders Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood for successive ducks. Bumrah's career-best 6/33 also made him the only Asian bowler to take five wickets or more in each against Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year. He had earlier claimed 5/54 vs South Africa in Johannesburg, then rocked England with a haul of 5/85 at Trent Bridge before Friday's feat. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja also picked a couple of wickets while pacers Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami bagged a wicket each to keep Australia guessing in just over two sessions of play. Resuming the post-lunch session at 145/7, Paine was the first to be dismissed caught behind by Rishabh Pant diving forward before Lyon and Hazlewood followed the skipper in quick succession. With a 292-run first innings lead, India have decided against enforcing a follow-on and instead will bat again.

Brief Scores: India 443/7 (Cheteshwar Pujara 106, Virat Kohli 82, Mayank Agarwal 76; Pat Cummins 3/72) vs Australia 151 (Marcus Harris 22, Tim Paine 22; Jasprit Bumrah 6/33, Ravindra Jadeja 2/45).(IANS)

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