Labuschagne tries to whip to the leg side and gets a big thick edge away to behind point. Lucky escape.
Whoa, a sharp bounce there as Labuschagne just barely drops his hands out of the way.
A bit of life there from Akash.
Bang! Smith shuffles quickly and gets to the bounce of the ball in a flash, sending a ball rocketing between the bowler and mid-off.
And then a little nudge to the leg side for a single.
Washington finishes the over from around the wicket, and Labuschagne defends awkwardly. Looks uncomfortable with that angle. Could be worth going back to against Labuschagne at least.
Labuschagne is on Nathan Lyon’s shirt number. Smith is on Labuschagne’s.
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Smith walks at Akash and pulls from high outside off into the leg side. He managed to control that pretty well considering how short it was. Just three runs as it plugs in the outfield and Ravindra Jadeja tracks it down.
Labuschagne tries a reverse sweep and gets hit, but the umpire ignores the LBW shout.
It was all glove as the replays show.
Smith whips a single. There’s a bit happening, but Smith and Labuschagne mostly look solid, especially against the spin.
Can someone please ask Ric Finlay the last time Australia’s openers and first drop each scored a half century?
– Alex
This is the first time it’s happened since the first Test of the tour of Pakistan in 2022 in Rawalpindi.
On that day Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne AND Steve Smith all passed 50. None of them reached 100, despite Khawaja and Labuschagne both reaching the 90s.
The match ultimately ended in a draw.
Steve Smith is in behind it to defend.
Again he’s up for LBW, but again he’s denied by Joel Wilson despite his pleas.
It’s too high, but crikey, Steve, what position have you ended up in? That’s somehow hit him on the inside of his back thigh and he was basically completely facing the bowler.
He’s beaten on the outside edge as he pushes forward.
First ball to Marnus is down the leg side and he sweeps cleanly for a single.
Smith clips off his toes for one, and suddenly it’s looking easier for this pair.
Labuschagne nudges down the ground to long-on, and then Smith turns one to square leg. The Indians look like a team that’s been in the field on a very long hot day.
It’s wide and full, and Marnus Labuschagne has a dip, but the ball swings away and he can’t reach it.
Labuschagne plays that Smith-esque nudged hook around the corner between leg slip and backward square leg. And Smith gets through for a third run on Bumrah’s arm.
Edged by Smith! But it sails wide of Kohli, who gives chase and tracks it down on the boundary to keep it to three.
Labuschagne turns off his thigh and wants two. Smith says it’s just one as Jasprit Bumrah comes in off the rope, but he runs over the top of the ball and they get a second on the misfield.
And then a single off the last ball in exactly the same fashion.
Not a great over from Akash.
Labuschagne brings up the team’s 200 with a single.
Meanwhile, the Warne kids are honouring Shane with a doff of the wide brim hat in the outfield. He was Test player #350, and it’s just hit 3:50pm.
Four! Smith clips just wide of Jasprit Bumrah at mid-on.
FOUR MORE! This time he charges and launches Jadeja back over his head.
The last ball is clattered through cover, but KL Rahul is there to stop it from being a third boundary.
It’s a big shout for LBW, this time beating the inside edge of the bat. Again Joel Wilson says no, but this time INDIA REVIEWS.
It’s going down leg. Missing all of them despite Smith jumping so far across the stumps.
Smith gets up the other end as a ball glances off his thigh pad, but he gets it right back as Labuschagne turns off his pads.
Smith is getting himself into some awkward spots with that exaggerated jumps into the line of the stumps. He has to sway away from a ball going down leg, then squares himself up as he defends a ball just behind a good length.
Smith nudges off his thigh and takes a single to Mohammed Siraj.
A lovely little guide down to third man past Rohit Sharma at slip gets Labuschagne two more.
Four! Labuschagne cashes in on a wide, full ball from Jadeja, slapping him through cover to the rope.
Marnus Labuschagne emulates Queensland teammate Usman Khawaja with a much-needed 50.
Now he needs to do what Khawaja couldn’t and go on with it.
So Washington Sundar, who was picked as the primary spinner for the first Test in Perth, gets the Marnus Labuschagne treatment with just one over before tea.
Huge shout for LBW and Akash Deep really likes it. Looks decent to me too, but the umpire says no. And Rohit Sharma isn’t reviewing.
Clipping the top of the off bail according to ball tracking. Wouldn’t have been enough to overturn, so not a bad idea to avoid the review, but I’d love to know what Joel Wilson didn’t like about that appeal.
Four. Adding to Akash Deep’s frustration, he sends one down leg and Smith just helps it on its way.
Smith drives outside off and they take three as Mohammed Siraj tracks it down with an awkward slide.
We have a delay waiting for the clock to tick over to 3:33pm AEST because, despite horrendous over rates, Test cricket must cling strictly to its time constraints.
Smith clips a single out of mid-wicket’s reach.
Four! Labuschagne charges and cracks Jadeja back over his head. He got it a little bit off the inside edge, but got enough of it to send it to the rope.
Marnus Labuschagne is six runs away from his second half-century of the series and Steve Smith (10*) has the strike to Ravindra Jadeja to start the final session.
Another session done, another session won by Australia.
India did pick up the wicket of Usman Khawaja, who will feel he left a century on the table today, but they would’ve wanted more.
Australia well in control of this day as we take a little breather before heading into the final session.
Marnus Labuschagne has built his innings really well, nurdling his way to 44, and will want to capitalise.
He’s got an old ball, some tired bowlers and some sweltering conditions to do it in.
Won’t get a better chance, I reckon.
It’s been hard work for India today. They were better in that session, but need to find a way to pick up a few more wickets.
Washington is finally into the attack! He was the shock inclusion in Shubman Gill’s place this morning.
He’s around the wicket to Smith, with Kohli in at leg slip, clearly a plan of attack for the Indians.
BEATEN! Washington also around the wicket to Marnus, gets one to go on straight past his forward defence.
FOUR! A lovely shot from Marnus, who shuffles down the crease and punches a full one from Washington past mid-off for a boundary.
A bit too straight from Jadeja to start the over, as both Marnus and Smith pick up consecutive singles on the leg side with the first three deliveries.
A bit of excitement for Jadeja after another Marnus late cut attempt, this time there’s no run.
A lovely bit of fielding to finish the over from Jadeja, who dives full length to his left to stop a strong drive down the ground from Marnus.
Another edge from Marnus, who continues to get squared up by Bumrah. This one squirts out to Jaiswal at gully.
India must be wondering when one of these will actually go to hand.
Bumrah’s speeds are still very good, he’s operating in the mid-to-high 130s mostly, with the odd slower one in the low 120s mixed in there.
Tries a shorter one too, that is relatively comfortably negotiated by Marnus.
A good over for the Aussies though, three off it, a couple of singles to Marnus and Smith and a no-ball.