India managed to draw the third Test match against Australia, with a resilient performance on Day 5, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). India scored 334 runs for five wickets on Day 5 to defy the Australians. Trailing by 309 runs at the beginning of Day 5, the visitors lost Ajinkya Rahane early on to a Nathan Lyon delivery. The stand-in captain could only muster four runs. But Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant had other plans, counterattacking the Aussie bowlers. Pujara registered 77 runs off 205 balls, hitting 12 fours. Meanwhile, Pant slammed 97 from 118 deliveries, which consisted of 12 fours and three sixes. The duo's contribution helped India stage a turnaround, and at one point looked set for an improbable win. But Pujara and Pant fell as India's hopes faded again. Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin, however, batted for more than three hours, despite the former suffering a hamstring injury. Vihari remained unbeaten after scoring 23 runs off 161 balls while, veteran spinner Ashwin showed his experience with an unbeaten 39-run knock of 128 balls to take India to a memorable draw. Josh Hazlewood put in a noteworthy display for Australia, registering two dismissals. Meanwhile, Lyon also scalped two wickets. The four-match Test series is currently level at 1-1, with the final match set to begin from January 15. (SCORECARD)
India Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team
Ajinkya Rahane
Cheteshwar Pujara