Australia v India: third Test, day two – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2014/dec/27/australia-v-india-third-test-day-two-live

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6.00pm AEST07:00

Stumps: India 108-1 (Vijay 55, Pujara 25)

A good day’s cricket. Yet again India allow Australia to get more runs than they should, with Smith (again) and Harris swelling Australia’s first-innings offering beyond 500 yet again. India, to their credit, showed good character to be only one down at stumps. They’re still 422 runs in arrears but will sleep well tonight ahead of the day-three challenge. Thanks for keeping Geoff and myself company. Let’s do it all again tomorrow.

5.57pm AEST06:57

37th over: India 108-1 (Vijay 55, Pujara 25)

Last over of the day. Here we go. Johnson steams in, and even mixes it up with a slower one before banging it in short. His bluster and innovation bring no result, however, and India survive to stumps just one down.

5.53pm AEST06:53

36th over: India 108-1 (Vijay 55, Pujara 25)

Vijay takes the long handle to Lyon, using his feet before connecting well and picking up a boundary to long-on.

Here’s an interesting one from Hugh Hanafi Hayes:

“I have been a cricket follower for many many years and so I write from some knowledge of the game, when I say that in my opinion Steve Smith spoilt an exceptional display of batsmanship by the way he ended his long innings. He demonstrated his immaturity as a skipper and not for the first time. I just hope he learned from today’s ego driven ending that personal displays of one’s character can sometimes weaken rather than strengthen one’s great talent.”

Updated at 5.54pm AEST

5.50pm AEST06:50

35th over: India 103-1 (Vijay 50, Pujara 25)

Johnson carries on, short not of perspiration but possibly inspiration this late in the day. His line suffers against Pujara until a flukey edge from the right-hander beats the slip cordon en route to the fence. That’s the 100 up for India.

5.46pm AEST06:46

34th over: India 99-1 (Vijay 50, Pujara 21)

Vijay tries to sweep, misses and is struck on the pads. It’s a shout well worth making and Lyon asks the question, but doubts exist it may have struck him outside the line and the answer is non. Runs follow later in the over, with Vijay taking two off the last ball to rack up yet another half-century. Well played.

5.43pm AEST06:43

33rd over: India 93-1 (Vijay 47, Pujara 18)

Hello. Scott Heinrich here. A blustery over from Johnson, for no reward however. And a frankly Herculean effort from Geoff Lemon, who gained plenty of personal and professional reward from his epic OBO dig. Let’s dig in for the last 20 minutes.

5.39pm AEST06:39

32nd over: India 92-1 (Vijay 47, Pujara 17)

Pujara just plays out most of this Lyon over sedately, before a single from the second-last ball. And I too have played out quite a few sedate overs, but it’s time to get racing. Geoff Lemon out, for the day and the rest of this Test, in fact, while Scott Heinrich will be in to take you through the last 20 minutes to the close of play.

5.36pm AEST06:36

31st over: India 92-1 (Vijay 47, Pujara 17)

Last roll of the dice with only a few overs to go, Mitchell Johnson coming back to bowl through to the close. Vijay leaves most of the over outside his off stump, except when he gets the rib-tickler that he plays well and drops back into the pitch.

5.30pm AEST06:30

30th over: India 92-1 (Vijay 47, Pujara 17)

Pujara wants to stay positive against Lyon, so he comes down the track to drive three runs through cover. Two runs to Vijay to fine leg, then he also comes down but doesn’t get to the pitch of it, and nearly edges onto his pad for Joe Burns to snaffle. Big appeal but the umpire is unmoved. A single to long-on to finish off.

5.28pm AEST06:28

29th over: India 86-1 (Vijay 44, Pujara 14)

Vijay gets a couple of runs from the first ball of Hazlewood’s next over. He’s been on the spot, Hazlewood. Very accurate, made the batsmen think, and should have had Pujara’s wicket already. Vijay defends the rest of the over, ducks the bouncer, is starting to think of just getting through to stumps. Seven overs left in the day’s play.

5.24pm AEST06:24

28th over: India 84-1 (Vijay 42, Pujara 14)

This is turning into another good knock from Vijay. He hustles three singles from this Lyon over while Pujara takes two. Mostly worked on the leg side, just pushing into gaps.

5.22pm AEST06:22

27th over: India 79-1 (Vijay 39, Pujara 12)

Dropped! Pujara comes forward with hard hands at Hazlewood, he got a thick edge, Haddin seemed to think it was going wide of him and starting to lean to his right, then realised it was coming straight at him and low. Somehow he only ended up going at the ball with one glove, his right hand getting down to it but the left was nowhere near. The ball hit the heel of his hand and hit the turf. A very straightforward wicketkeeping take, but now that he’s made some runs I guess he can start dropping them.

Maiden.

5.16pm AEST06:16

26th over: India 79-1 (Vijay 39, Pujara 12)

Lyon is still flighting the ball a lot, and Vijay is keen on sweeping. He crashes one shot into the run-saving buttock of Joe Burns at short leg, and Joe probably does burn after absorbing that whack with the glute. Vijay’s next effort avoids all posteriors and gets him a single to deep backward. Pujara walks at the bowler and flicks a single to fine leg.

5.12pm AEST06:12

25th over: India 77-1 (Vijay 38, Pujara 11)

The patience game pays some modest reward as Hazlewood gets too full, allowing Vijay to cover-drive three runs. Pujara tries to glide past gully but Lyon flings himself across to save four runs. Pujara has to content himself with two through midwicket from the final ball of the over.

Updated at 5.13pm AEST

5.09pm AEST06:09

24th over: India 72-1 (Vijay 35, Pujara 9)

Lyon continuing, Pujara working a single through point from the fifth ball. Lyon is flighting all of these extensively. Vijay sees a line that he likes outside off and goes down to sweep another run.

5.07pm AEST06:07

23rd over: India 70-1 (Vijay 34, Pujara 8)

An exercise in contrasts, Hazlewood and Lyon. Josh H is bowling outside that off stump, great lift, great carry. Patience will be required to outlast him. Vijay has it, for now, and sees out a maiden. Needs to just leave and leave and leave to help India get anywhere near the long innings they need.

5.02pm AEST06:02

22nd over: India 70-1 (Vijay 34, Pujara 8)

A double change in the bowling, with Nathan Lyon coming on. Vijay immediately turns him behind square for a single, then Pujara gets a wide ball outside off, and cover drives for four.

4.59pm AEST05:59

21st over: India 65-1 (Vijay 33, Pujara 4)

Hazlewood comes on for Ryan Harris, and Pujara is content to have a good look at him and play out another maiden. Loves a few good dot balls, does Pujara.

4.56pm AEST05:56

20th over: India 65-1 (Vijay 33, Pujara 4)

That wasn’t a ball to drive but Vijay turns it into one, Watson’s length delivery somehow sent away through cover for four. The rest of the over is made of dot balls, left and defended around off stump.

4.50pm AEST05:50

19th over: India 61-1 (Vijay 29, Pujara 4)

Harris versus Pujara is discipline versus discipline. Just on off stump for five balls, all of them solidly defended, then a brisker chest-high ball that Pujara sways away from. Maiden.

4.47pm AEST05:47

18th over: India 61-1 (Vijay 29, Pujara 4)

Shane Watson is settling into his spell, still into the 130 km/h range. Pujara gets a thick inside edge, then Vijay plays out the next five balls on a tight line.

4.41pm AEST05:41

17th over: India 60-1 (Vijay 29, Pujara 3)

Harris, the wicket-taker continues. Such skill this man has, when he’s able to bind his body sufficiently with twine and cable ties and tumble it onto the park. A couple of singles, plenty of groans from Harris who keeps thinking he’s about to sneak through the batsman’s defence.

4.38pm AEST05:38

16th over: India 58-1 (Vijay 28, Pujara 2)

Just the single from this Watson over, as he tightens up and India go cautiously after the wicket. There’s a spirit of adventure to Dhawan that is infectious while he’s out there, but he’s not always there for long.

4.33pm AEST05:33

15th over: India 57-1 (Vijay 27, Pujara 2)

That over included a nice shot from Vijay, driving three through cover. These two were going really nicely against some decent bowling, but Dhawan falls against the run of play. Cheteshwar Pujara walks out at first drop for India. His side has still had a better start than the opposition, Australia lost their first wicket on nought. Small mercies, though.

Pujara gets a straight ball and flicks it for two.

4.28pm AEST05:28

WICKET! Dhawan 28, c Smith b Harris

There it is, Harris has been probing away and gets a bit of movement from the pitch, a bit of bounce, Dhawan pushes forward at it and it takes a thick edge through to slip.

4.26pm AEST05:26

14th over: India 52-0 (Vijay 24, Dhawan 28)

All-rounder time already, Shane Watson on for his first over after such a classy bowling performance at the Gabba. Didn’t get many wickets there but he was curling it everywhere. A memory stirs, as Javert once said: was it here that Watson bowled Michael Carberry with a ball that seemed to swing about two feet through the gate? He’d love to give Dhawan one of those.

Dhawan defends, then drives calmly to the cover boundary. Watson is back on the spot next ball, then bounces him with the fourth. His pace is already into the 130s in this first over, but he gets a touch too wide with his final ball and Dhawan cuts another four!

That’s the 50-run opening stand up for these two, something India have struggled with in recent years. An encouraging start, but there’s a long, long, long way to go.

4.21pm AEST05:21

13th over: India 44-0 (Vijay 24, Dhawan 20)

Bit dicey, Vijay might have got an inside edge onto his pad and the ball lobbed high in the air, but Harris charging down the pitch couldn’t get there. Instead he arrived on the bounce and immediately pawed the ball back at Vijay’s stumps hoping to find him out of his ground. Nothing quite came together for Harris. But he pins Vijay on strike through this over, bouncing him with the last ball for a maiden.

4.19pm AEST05:19

12th over: India 44-0 (Vijay 24, Dhawan 20)

Hazlewood sends down a quiet over, just a single from it by Vijay to fine leg.

4.13pm AEST05:13

11th over: India 43-0 (Vijay 23, Dhawan 20)

Harris returns quickly to end Johnson’s five-over spell. Harris is now bowling from the Members’ End, where Johnson fittingly began the match. Vijay gets a run toward leg before Dhawan darts a single into the covers, real tip-and-run stuff.

Vijay is then beaten all ends up by a beauty. It was pitched full, it moved slightly, he drove at it and missed it - just. Hands on heads in the slips. Vijay drives the next ball, a touch fuller and it was barely a drive, just a defensive push, but sufficiently well timed that it split the cover gap for three.

4.09pm AEST05:09

10th over: India 38-0 (Vijay 19, Dhawan 19)

There’s a good old-fashioned look to Josh Hazlewood, channelling something from 90s cricket telecasts, pinging the ball down like one of those Superbounce rubber things from the little vending machines in supermarket arcades. Dhawan defends a few, leaves a few, faces a maiden.

Just getting word on the radio that Mitchell Marsh won’t be considered for Sydney’s Test after a setback with his sightscreen, so Joe Burns can be confident of another Test and Shane Watson can breathe easy.

4.05pm AEST05:05

9th over: India 38-0 (Vijay 19, Dhawan 19)

Johnson continuing, he’s bowled five on the trot here which is a fair few for him. Vijay gets behind the first ball and deflects it toward midwicket for a single, then Dhawan cuts for three runs behind point with just a hint of width. Vijay leaves a couple but is beaten from the last, Johnson has bowled some good nuts so far but hasn’t got the gleam of insanity in his eyes yet.

3.59pm AEST04:59

8th over: India 34-0 (Vijay 18, Dhawan 16)

Hazlewood getting that good lift thanks to his tall frame and high action, when he gets his length right. But he gets too full to Vijay who drives three through cover, and too full to Dhawan who drives beautifully square of the wicket. The ball drags and holds up inside the rope, but they run four anyway.

3.56pm AEST04:56

7th over: India 27-0 (Vijay 15, Dhawan 12)

Pretty quick stuff from Johnson, some short balls that get Dhawan hopping. Vijay had exposed him to it with a single, Johnson also straying straight a few too many times.

3.53pm AEST04:53

6th over: India 26-0 (Vijay 14, Dhawan 12)

Smith ringing the changes already: Harris is off after two overs and Hazlewood on. Also, as it happens, David Warner is not on the field after apparently being hit in the nets and injuring his forearm. Sounds familiar.

Hazlewood doesn’t settle immediately. Dhawan drives him for three, Vijay works a straight ball for one. So they’re off to a pretty brisk start, just as Australia scored quickly throughout their innings.

3.48pm AEST04:48

5th over: India 22-0 (Vijay 13, Dhawan 9)

No worries about Johnson. Dhawan gets a single to fine leg, then Vijay comes forward and flicks a ball off his pads square of the wicket for four. Johnson gets his line right, but Vijay pushes with very soft hands at the ball, so even though he edges it, it hits the deck and runs away for four. Nine from the over.

3.41pm AEST04:41

4th over: India 13-0 (Vijay 5, Dhawan 8)

Shot. Harris strays outside off with the first ball of the over and Dhawan crunches that through cover for four. Harris immediately gets back on his line and length, making the batsman leave and think and defend and think and leave. This is great cricket. Eventually Dhawan pushes two through mid off, but edges a single through square leg for a single to close the over.

3.36pm AEST04:36

3rd over: India 6-0 (Vijay 5, Dhawan 1)

If there’s one thing India can take out of this series, it’s Murali Vijay. I mean, they’d better take him, otherwise he’ll just be lying around one of our cricket grounds and no one will know what to do with him. But they can also take the knowledge that he’s not afraid of fast bowling. Specifically, not afraid of unpredictable threatening fast bowling. He’s played Mitchell Johnson very well in every Test, without fear, and he starts well against him again by leaning on a straight drive to the fence behind the bowler.

Gets a nasty lifter on the gloves thereafter but just goes back to getting behind the line of the ball and playing it out.

3.33pm AEST04:33

2nd over: India 2-0 (Vijay 1, Dhawan 1)

Ryan Harris, fresh off his half-ton with the bat, settles on an immaculate line and length to the lefty straightaway. Angled across, nice and tight on the off stump, too full to pull, too short to drive. Su-poib. It’s a maiden.

3.28pm AEST04:28

1st over: India 2-0 (Vijay 1, Dhawan 1)

“We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs... then we started, all over, again.”

Another day, another innings. No, it’s not Gallipoli, it’s cricket, which is altogether a more agreeable pursuit, and can sometimes be slightly faster. Hostilities of a fairly mannered sort are about to begin anew. Mitchell Johnson has the sphere of fear, and he ripples in to bowl to Murali Vijay.

A few good balls to start the over, all clocking 140 or above, lifting and leaving Vijay outside his off stump. Eventually Johnson strays straight and Vijay picks off a single to fine leg. Shikhar Dhawan, the left-hander, gets one of his own by pushing toward cover and running hard. Bathed in sunshine, Johnson steams in and cleverly deflects a straight drive back onto the stumps, but Dhawan was alive to danger and had the bat in safety.

3.07pm AEST04:07

Tea - Australia all out for 530

Another whirlwind session for Australia, who could have been in real trouble without their new captain and their determined tail-end batsmen. Smith smashed his highest first-class score but couldn’t quite seal the double-ton. Nonetheless, he has two in two Tests as captain, three in this series, and now averages 51.26 as a Test batsman.

Brilliant support in this session from Ryan Harris, who also made his Test-best score of 74, then some sketchier support from Nathan Lyon, while Josh Hazlewood wasn’t given any work to do.

No matter - a massive first-innings score, and now India have 20 minutes to gather their thoughts and try to come up with something convincing in reply. Geoff Lemon here with you throughout the day, as Russell Jackson is unfortunately ill. Send him your love.

3.03pm AEST04:03

WICKET! Smith 192, b Yadav

It was Brendon McCullum for 195 yesterday, it’s Steven Smith falling for 192 today.

Josh Hazlewood walks to the middle to steer Smith to the milestone. Everyone goes back. Smith drives Yadav in the air to long-off, it bounces first, he doesn’t take the run. Next ball, flat-bats it to long-on, doesn’t take the run. He wants the fence, so he walks outside his off stump, tries to ramp the ball through fine leg, and credit to Shami who just kept firing fast at the stumps, beating the shot to clip the top of middle.

It’s over, but what an innings. Could have trusted Hazlewood more after his efforts at the Gabba, but it has been tremendous entertainment. And that’s tea.

2.58pm AEST03:58

WICKET! Lyon 11, b Shami

142nd over: Australia 530-9 (Smith 192)

Right. The entire field is back now. Only Dhoni is within chatting distance of Steve Smith. There are eight on the fence and a slip about two-thirds of the way back. Smith declines a single to cover from the first ball, but then tries to tennis-smash a short ball, it skews through square, Smith thought he might get two so he took off, but couldn’t come back.

No matter. Lyon clears the front leg and wallops Shami’s next ball from outside off, over mid off, for four.

Lyon’s next ball nearly bowls him, as he backs away to leg and misses a huge hoick. Chill, Winston. Block ‘em out.

Nope. Gets a short ball, hooks through fine leg, and how many runs down that way now? Four more, any rate.

Then he’s bowled from the last ball of the over. Missed it, leg stump out of the ground. I reckon that’s dumb cricket with your skipper on 192.

Updated at 2.58pm AEST

2.53pm AEST03:53

141st over: Australia 521-8 (Smith 191, Lyon 3)

Lyon gets off the mark with a dicey lofted three runs over cover. Dives in for the third. Smith cuts Yadav to third man and is able to take a second run on a diving fumble down there. The field is well back for Smith now, but incredibly they keep the field back for the last ball and he takes an easy single off his hip toward square.

His first-class high score was 177, by the way, so he’s left that in his dust.

2.51pm AEST03:51

140th over: Australia 515-8 (Smith 188, Lyon 0)

Another stunning over from Smith. He stands and delivers, slamming four past the umpire straight down to the sight screen. Then repeats the dose, this time straight at the umpire but Ashwin gets a desperate hand in the way and saves four. Not for long, as Smith charges, swings, and ramps the ball over cover to the fence. Then, as if to complete the set, he pulls out a reverse sweep to third man for yet another boundary.

33-run partnership and Lyon hasn’t scored.

2.48pm AEST03:48

139th over: Australia 503-8 (Smith 176, Lyon 0)

Smith is really lashing out now, and could fall to a mis-hit soon. In the meantime, he’s slashing them around. Big top-edge slice that just clears cover with Pujara running back to dive. But Smith’s next shot against Yadav is outrageous, as he backs well outside leg, makes the width for that short ball, and slams a cut shot that was so wide of his body that he almost hit it one-handed. Four runs.

There’s a double-century on here.

The 500 is up.

2.43pm AEST03:43

138th over: Australia 496-8 (Smith 169, Lyon 0)

WHAT? That’s massive. Massive. Ashwin starts a new over, Smith comes about five metres down the pitch, and with that headstart he sends the ball about 35 rows back into Bay 13 of the Great Southern Stand. I’ve seen plenty of sixes at the G but that was a monster. He has his highest Test score, passing the 162* from Adelaide.

Updated at 2.48pm AEST

2.40pm AEST03:40

137th over: Australia 489-8 (Smith 162, Lyon 0)

Umesh Yadav comes back, but he’ll wish he hadn’t. Smith plays that tennis shot of his, the forehand smash down the ground for four. Then scores two. Then one. Lyon bats out the next three.

Updated at 2.48pm AEST

2.37pm AEST03:37

136th over: Australia 482-8 (Smith 155, Lyon 0)

Another very eventful over, we’ve had a few of those. There was finally a dicey shot form Smith, who should have been shutting up shop and supporting Harris to a century. He advanced to Ashwin and tried to loft him but hit it flat to long off on the bounce. That single raised a century partnership from 141 balls.

Then six! Harris down on one knee, got one well outside off but dragged it across, hit is cleanly and muscled it flat over the long-on fence.

74 from 88 balls, his highest Test score, and he fell for that. Nathan Lyon appeared to bat out the last couple of balls.

Updated at 2.48pm AEST

2.33pm AEST03:33

WICKET! Harris 74, lbw Ashwin

Faint dreams of a century for Harris are punctured by the umpire’s finger, but what an innings. He’s put on over 100 with Smith and has devastated India. A much quicker ball from Ashwin, he speared it in at the stumps and Harris was down on one knee trying to sweep, missed, nailed in front of middle.

2.29pm AEST03:29

135th over: Australia 475-7 (Smith 154, Harris 68)

Easy as you like, Smith comes forward and just presents the bat to the line of the ball, slightly angled away from it, and runs that ball down to third man for a run. Harris gets two runs on the drive through cover. His high score is 68, and he’s only a run short now. Still on strike. Slip, gully, point, cover, mid off, min on, midwicket. Ring field. Harris cuts a run square of that point fieldsman and and gets the run to equal his previous best. Smith stands tall to a short ball and again skews it down to third man for an easy run, using the bowler’s pace against him.

2.25pm AEST03:25

134th over: Australia 470-7 (Smith 152, Harris 65)

Smith drives Ashwin for a run to long-on, then Harris edges three past slip and that’s his second-highest score. Smith hangs back on his stumps and just taps a ball off his pads to leg. Harris takes two more runs, then gets down on one knee and clobbers four high down to fine leg on the sweep. He’s into the 60s! Then he gets two more through fine leg. What is happening? 13 from the over! Harris’ high score about to fall.

2.22pm AEST03:22

133rd over: Australia 457-7 (Smith 150, Harris 54)

It’s Ishant Sharma, but India are starting to look like they’re just going through the motions. They’d rather like Australia to just get 500-odd and declare so everyone can go and sit down. Smith pushes a single to point after wandering across his crease. That’s his 60th single for the innings, which is 1.2 kilometres that he’s run in ones. And that’s not counting his partners’ runs. Harris flicks another to fine leg. Smith gets his 61st through square. Then Harris. Then... Smith!

And that’s 150 for Steven Smith! His second time past the mark this series, from 273 balls, with 10 fours and a six. So only 46 runs in boundaries, and 104 in runs that live up to their name.

Yum is looking into the future and seeing Smiths. “Graeme Smith taunted England and saw off 4 England captains in his career and now that he’s finally gone, it looks like another era of The Smith. May begin with next year’s Ashes especially with Cook looking vulnerable.”

Our hosts let us know that records are falling.

Smith and Harris have broken the previous record 8th wicket partnership for #AUSvIND Tests at the MCG (64, by Healy/M.Hughes in 1991/92).

2.12pm AEST03:12

132nd over: Australia 452-7 (Smith 147, Harris 52)

Smith, down the pitch, drives to long on and takes two runs. Then drives through midwicket and takes one. Harris back on strike. He works one off his pads and gets the run!

Half century! For the big fast bowler Ryan Harris, he salutes around the ground, and there’s his third time to 50 in Test cricket. 75 balls, 7 fours.

Good omen for Harris: every time he’s reached 50 in Tests he’s been undefeated. 55* against England at Adelaide, and 68* against West Indies at Bridgetown. He could go on a while yet if he can reset his concentration.

They’re working Ashwin more easily now. After Smith misses a reverse sweep he decides on more orthodox strokeplay and sweeps square to raise the team’s 450. Then Harris glances two runs to fine leg once more.

2.08pm AEST03:08

131st over: Australia 445-7 (Smith 143, Harris 49)

Ishant is doing a good job of making Harris a little nervous, keeping him to a dot ball into the gully, then another turned to midwicket. But he glances one fine, the crowd rises, the batsmen run two... and umpire Kettleborough signals leg byes. What theatre.

Harris squirts the next to point. Still can’t score. Asks the umpire how many left in the over. Drives to mid off. Can’t score. Bad first dates don’t have this much single tension. Last ball. Driven to mid off. Still a bad date, no score at all! Harris still searching for that sweet kiss of relief.

2.04pm AEST03:04

130th over: Australia 443-7 (Smith 143, Harris 49)

Steve Smith drives Ashwin handsomely through cover for three, then Harris goes within a run of his fifty with a glanced single. Smith is now onto his second-highest Test score, Harris his third-highest.

2.01pm AEST03:01

129th over: Australia 439-7 (Smith 140, Harris 48)

Ishant warmed up with that run to the rope, so now he’s on to bowl. Smith cuts a single. Harris ducks a bouncer, then top-edges a pull that lobs safely down to fine leg. The Australians have scored many runs in that region today.

1.56pm AEST02:56

128th over: Australia 436-7 (Smith 139, Harris 46)

Seriously, guys. That’s a 50 partnership as Harris backs away from Ashwin’s ball that was outside the off stump, and while it wasn’t short he flayed an angled cut shot away through cover for four.

52 runs from 94 balls, following Smith’s 50 partnership with Johnson. Daggers into India’s players.

Four more! What in blazes. Harris has played a late cut, if you don’t mind, through third man.

And again! Makes Ishant Sharma chase it all the way down, but the ball wins. Ashwin has been tidy but has suddenly gone for 13, and Harris is within a hit of a half-century. What even.

1.52pm AEST02:52

127th over: Australia 423-7 (Smith 138, Harris 34)

A tale of two balls. Shami really bangs one in hard and it jags off the seam into Harris, cutting him in half and nearly making him the third Australian batsman to be slammed fair in the delicatessen. Great nut. Then he gets too full the next ball and Harris just creams it down the ground, just past the distant stumps and it zoomed away for four while Harris stayed bat raised in the follow-through.

If you want to summarise the Australian accent in one phrase, say “around a roundabout” a few times in a row. Bryce McGain on the ABC could saw timber with that sentence.

Harris runs a single to third man, then Smith pinches one through square from the final ball.

1.48pm AEST02:48

126th over: Australia 417-7 (Smith 137, Harris 29)

A slip and a silly mid-on are the only catchers for Smith versus Ashwin. There’s cover, point, long off, long on, midwickets deep and regulation, deep backward square. Smith drives the fifth ball straight for a single, then Harris sneakily steals the strike with one from the last ball.

1.46pm AEST02:46

125th over: Australia 415-7 (Smith 136, Harris 28)

Smith just takes the single driving Shami through point. Harris again bashes one straight to cover but no run. He tests his quads out with a darted single just wide of gully, sprinting to the non-striker’s end. Smith takes another run to third man.

1.42pm AEST02:42

124th over: Australia 412-7 (Smith 134, Harris 27)

Harris finally gets one to hit from Ashwin, a bit short, but he cracks the cut shot straight at cover. Defends the next then manages to flick one away down leg for two runs. Smith was happy to take the back seat when Johnson was flying at the Gabba, and he’s been happy to do so again here with Harris.

1.39pm AEST02:39

123rd over: Australia 410-7 (Smith 134, Harris 25)

Smith on a mission to just wear the Indian team down. He remains watchful against Shami before taking a single to third man. Harris is being watchful against the spin but he’s happy against pace, as Shami’s fifth ball gets a full swing of the bat and flies away through mid-off for four. Harris keeps strike with a single from the last ball, tapped to point and then sprinted on.

This partnership is now worth 34. The lower-order partnerships have killed India in this series, and they haven’t been able to come close to matching them.

1.34pm AEST02:34

122nd over: Australia 404-7 (Smith 133, Harris 20)

Smith content to take a single from the first ball of Ashwin’s over, and Harris does the Studious Crab for the next five balls, curving his back forward as he leans right over the ball and dead-bats it out of his pads.

1.31pm AEST02:31

121st over: Australia 403-7 (Smith 132, Harris 20)

Yadav is bowling a fairly handy spell here, settling in to a good line just outside off, and hanging just back of a length. That’s something India haven’t been able to do all day: just hit the same spot again and again, and trust natural variation to make life hard for the batsman. They’ve over-attacked, they’ve gone wild and woolly, and it hasn’t worked.

Smith takes four balls to get a single to point, then Harris miscues one into his pads.

But it comes undone from the final ball - it wasn’t a bad ball, on a length rather than short, but Harris somehow fashioned a whipping pull shot away from his off stump through mid on for four.

The 400 is up.

Updated at 1.33pm AEST

1.27pm AEST02:27

120th over: Australia 398-7 (Smith 131, Harris 16)

Smith is trying to get a rhythm going against Ashwin, charging him for a big drive that’s stopped at silly mid-on. There’s also a bat pad on the leg side. Another charge brings Smith a single but that’s all from the over. Three overs for one run for Ashwin since lunch.

1.25pm AEST02:25

119th over: Australia 397-7 (Smith 130, Harris 16)

The Aussies continue in this sedate post-prandial fashion, Smith waiting several Yadav deliveries before gently pushing a single. Harris then gets things going with a drive through point for three runs before Smith goes the same way for a single.

1.22pm AEST02:22

118th over: Australia 392-7 (Smith 128, Harris 13)

Defence, defence, defence. The Ryan Harris mantra. Wait, what? No idea. In any case, he blocks out a maiden from Ashwin.

1.19pm AEST02:19

117th over: Australia 392-7 (Smith 128, Harris 13)

Umesh Yadav from the other end, and Harris is marshalling the strike. Two on the pull from the third ball, then one on the glance from the sixth.

The 400 beckons.

1.18pm AEST02:18

116th over: Australia 389-7 (Smith 128, Harris 10)

We get going after lunch with a maiden from Ashwin to Smith, the Australian captain content to start slowly. 2/65 from Ashwin’s 32 overs, he’s been very good on a first-innings pitch.

12.39pm AEST01:39

Lunch - Australia 389-7

Well and truly Australia’s session, folks. Brad Haddin came out and bashed the form gremlins away with an attacking half-century that had India in disarray early. Boundaries all round the park before he nicked one for 55. Then Johnson came out and slammed a fair few more before he was stumped for 28. In the meantime Steve Smith had gone on to his seventh Test century and was playing some shots of his own. He’ll resume after lunch to see just how big he can go, and the last three batsmen will do their best to stay with him. Rejoin me in half an hour or so as we get underway.

To entertain you in the meantime, listen in to The Very Best Story That I Know.

12.34pm AEST01:34

115th over: Australia 389-7 (Smith 128, Harris 10)

Shami is trusted to close out the session, and this time only goes for three. A single to third man for Smith, then two off the pads for Harris. Shami has gone leg side so often. He does have three of the wickets to fall, 3/114, but he’s gone at 4.56 per over in getting those.

12.29pm AEST01:29

114th over: Australia 386-7 (Smith 127, Harris 8)

Ravi Ashwin is the only man who can put the brakes on, keeping Smith to a single from this over.

12.28pm AEST01:28

113th over: Australia 385-7 (Smith 126, Harris 8)

They love whacking Shami. And he loves bowling leg-side filth. Smith gets one through fine leg. Harris gets a boundary through fine leg. Off the mark. Then - would you believe it - the creakiest knees in world cricket produce an all-run four through cover! Smith urges his bowler on, and they take the runs after Harris drove that ball away to the city end of the ground. Nine more from that over. India just can’t stem it.

12.22pm AEST01:22

112th over: Australia 376-7 (Smith 124, Harris 0)

Smith ticking over, took a single to raise the 50 partnership from 64 balls, but then Johnson was gone. Ryan Harris comes out and faces two balls without incident. He has a promotion to No9 in this match, with Lyon and Hazlewood to come. They both made runs at the Gabba, so Rhino will be keen to get a few on the board. He’s a very capable batsman in defensive mode, but also loves a lash when given licence. With Smith still at the crease, his job is really to sit in support.

While we’re on bad song lyrics - wherever you go, whatever you do, there will be worried Englishmen waiting for you. Matt Carrington: “Steve Smith has come on leaps & bounds, after an underwhelming start in Test cricket. Yet another factor to worry about prior next summer. And there’s plenty of others already causing sleepless nights....”

12.19pm AEST01:19

WICKET! Johnson 28, st Dhoni b Ashwin

Relief for India! Against the run of play, Johnson comes down the pitch to Ashwin, it was well bowled and probably beat him in flight, beat his stroke as well, and Johnson didn’t even look back after he missed it, he just kept walking off the field. Luckily for him, perversely, Dhoni had gloved it cleanly and had the bails off.

12.15pm AEST01:15

111th over: Australia 375-6 (Smith 124, Johnson 28)

Four! Glorious from Johnson as Shami gets a bit short outside off, and Johnson stands tall and plays a half pull, half drive, off the back foot, away through mid-on.

Four! Just a classic off drive there from Johnson, that huge backlift wound up, cocked and released, swatting through the line of the ball. He’s doing the Gabba again. What happens to India’s bowlers? Where do they go?

12.11pm AEST01:11

110th over: Australia 367-6 (Smith 124, Johnson 20)

Ashwin at least isn’t going for many, a couple of singles is all. A partnership of 41. The way Smith is going he could be on for a new high score today. 163 would be the mark.

12.09pm AEST01:09

109th over: Australia 365-6 (Smith 123, Johnson 19)

India’s attack is unravelling, really. Smith has taken so many threes, and does so again driving Ishant through cover. Then Ishant goes short down leg side, and Johnson easily swats away a boundary fine.

12.03pm AEST01:03

108th over: Australia 357-6 (Smith 120, Johnson 14)

Spin! Ravi Ashwin gets his entree, perhaps a little late hmm? Johnson defends a few balls before sweeping a single. Smith blocks out the rest. Their partnership is already north of 30. These runs hurt.

12.01pm AEST01:01

107th over: Australia 356-6 (Smith 120, Johnson 13)

Smith gets a single then is given another run thanks to an overthrow. Johnson is keen to get motoring between the wickets, he insists on darting a single after a little defensive prod from Smith, then gets another quick run of his own to mid-off.

11.54am AEST00:54

106th over: Australia 352-6 (Smith 117, Johnson 12)

Look out. Ye Olde Johnners has brought his batting gloves. Whips a ball from Yadav away behind square and splits the two deep fieldsmen there for the hook. Four! Then gets a full one and plants it way over the bowler. Four!

Three singles follow. Johnson loves a bit of pace. Smith clouts the final ball over mid off but got a bit too much elevation on it, so it rolls to a stop inside the rope. Three more. 14 from the over, runs from every ball. This is getting really tough for India, they’re all over the place now after having Australia in a tough position this morning.

The 350 ticks by.

11.51am AEST00:51

105th over: Australia 338-6 (Smith 113, Johnson 2)

Johnson gets a leg bye before Smith carves three runs by point. Most of the television’s interest is in forensically analysing the whack in the nuts. Sport! Johnson gets a single from an Ishant no-ball. We’ve spoken about this.

11.49am AEST00:49

104th over: Australia 332-6 (Smith 110, Johnson 1)

A maiden from Yadav, first too wide of off, then too far down leg, until the final ball cops Smith square in the bowl of popcorn. Ouch. Takes him a long walk and a call for a new box before he’s willing to carry on.

On Johnson’s shoulder...

"That's fleshy, but ow." Definitely ABC Radio's line of the summer. #AUSvIND

On Smith’s Johnson...

that's also fleshy, and ow. @GeoffLemonSport

11.40am AEST00:40

103rd over: Australia 332-6 (Smith 110, Johnson 1)

They nearly run four as Smith drives Shami through covers. Then they nearly run themselves out as Johnson drives and turns for a second run, but doesn’t see that Smith has slipped. A good through at the bowler’s end would have had him, but India didn’t have anyone in the right place to complete it.

So I asked for the stats on fastest Australians to 2000 runs. Beautiful work, thanks chaps.

@GeoffLemonSport Bradman. Surprise surprise. 15 matches, 22 innings. Freak.

@GeoffLemonSport Mike Hussey was the second fastest Aussie (4th overall) 20 matches / 33 innings #AUSvIND

@GeoffLemonSport Hussey 20 (33), Walters 22 (35), Morris 23 (36), Harvey 22 (37), Slater 23 (40), Gilly 30 (41), Cowper 26 (43)

@GeoffLemonSport got there quicker than Border 27 (48), Alastair Cook 26 (48), Ponting 32 (50) and Clarke 33 (50)

11.34am AEST00:34

102nd over: Australia 327-6 (Smith 106, Johnson 0)

Yadav bowls another quiet one, just a Smith single and then he clobbers Johnson in the shoulder with a bouncer. Left shoulder. Try to knock his arm off? Not the worst strategy, versus some of India’s ideas.

11.31am AEST00:31

101st over: Australia 326-6 (Smith 105)

An eventful over if ever there was one. The boundary for the century, then another glanced boundary for Smith, then a single, then Haddin’s wicket from Shami’s last ball. Nine and the wicket from the over. Johnson will be next in.

11.29am AEST00:29

WICKET! Haddin 55, c Dhoni b Shami

And out of nowhere a wicket falls. Haddin tried to leave, didn’t get out of the way of a shorter ball and it nicked the bat on the way through to Dhoni. His counter-attack has done its work though.

11.28am AEST00:28

CENTURY! Steve Smith 100 (from 191 balls, 11 fours, 1 six)

There it is, a leg glance for four and Smith raises his second successive century as captain, his third in this series, his third in three Tests, and his seventh overall.

That’s a run of 111 in Perth last year, 19 here, 115 in Sydney, 100 in Cape Town, 49 in Port Elizabeth, 84 and 36* at Centurion, 55 and 97 against Pakistan in the UAE, then a run of 162*, 52*, 133, 28 and 100* in this home series against India.

11.23am AEST00:23

100th over: Australia 317-5 (Smith 96, Haddin 55)

The century of overs arrives for the bowling team. Never a great milestone. Umesh Yadav carries on after drinks. Haddin takes a single, then Smith cracks another four - weird old shot, dragged it from outside off through midwicket. That raises the 100 partnership from 174 balls. Smith to 96 with another single. Milestone City.

In the climate of the times, it’s always worth reporting when nothing has happened.

Breaking: nothing happens at MCG pic.twitter.com/K2qUdh0loe

11.15am AEST00:15

99th over: Australia 311-5 (Smith 91, Haddin 54)

Haddin aims a massive slog against the returning Shami that gets an inside edge for one, then Smith glances a boundary...

That’s 2001 runs in 25 Tests for the new Australian captain. 47 innings, and his average has gone with that stroke to 50.03. So how quickly have other Australian players reached 2000 runs, in terms of Tests played? Can someone pull those stats?

11.12am AEST00:12

98th over: Australia 306-5 (Smith 87, Haddin 53)

Four! Lovely cover drive from Smith against Yadav, away it goes. He’s cruising toward that milestone. A couple of singles round out the over. Smith is about to reach 2000 runs in Tests, and his average is about to crest 50 for the first time.

11.08am AEST00:08

97th over: Australia 300-5 (Smith 82, Haddin 52)

The outfield has quickened up over yesterday, it seems, after a lot of rain in Melbourne late on Christmas night. Smith forces off the back foot and spears it away past the gully fieldsman along the ground for four. Then takes a single to raise the 300. The partnership is suddenly 83. India are slipping down the hill again.

Sharma hasn’t had much joy this series, seven wickets at about 50, but he’s always the man the Australians are watchful of.

11.04am AEST00:04

96th over: Australia 294-5 (Smith 77, Haddin 51)

A change already, as Umesh Yadav comes back. It prompts a quiet over, Haddin taking a single to midwicket for the only score.

11.00am AEST00:00

95th over: Australia 293-5 (Smith 77, Haddin 50)

Smith is content to watch the show, taking a single from Ishant to the leg side. Haddin says thanks very much, and smacks another four straight through mid off. Ishant gets a little shorter but gives him some width, and Haddin opens the face and glides this between gully and point for four more.

This is a procession. Time for spin?

Haddin has been in absolutely miserable form leading into this innings, since the last Ashes where he was so often the saviour. He scored more runs in a series then than any batsman ever from outside the top six. But since then it was 0, 9, 1, 13, 3*, 22, 0, 10, 13, 0, 14*, 6 and 1.

Today he raises a half century with a single, from 75 balls, with seven fours and a six.

Updated at 11.04am AEST

10.53am AEST23:53

94th over: Australia 283-5 (Smith 76, Haddin 41)

Cop that guv! Haddin has got a short ball from Shami to start the over, it sits up a bit and he just clears the front leg and mows it down the ground with a hefty slap. There was no elegance in that shot, it was like a bad home renovator trying to knock down a shed. Blattered it, I have to invent a word to describe that.

Just as well, because he plays the same shot two balls later. Shami has found the faucet open and can’t force it closed. Haddin way outside leg stump, opening up his stance, could have all gone horribly wrong but his hand-eye business got the bat to the ball, that one more over midwicket than mid-on.

Four more! As Shami gets a touch fuller outside off, it was still back of a length but Haddin camped on the back foot and had a mighty swat through cover point. 12 from the over and this is Johnson and the Gabba all over again.

10.48am AEST23:48

93rd over: Australia 271-5 (Smith 76, Haddin 29)

Ishant. Buddy. Friend. Mate. If you wouldn’t mind. Get your bloody foot behind the line. The bloke has been slinging no-balls like marshmallows on a camping trip. Haddin pulls another single. That’s it from the over.

10.42am AEST23:42

92nd over: Australia 269-5 (Smith 76, Haddin 28)

With abbreviated formalities, I should let you know that it’s Geoff Lemon joining you for the first two sessions of the day’s play, before the delightful Russell Jackson takes up the cudgels some time after tea. Please do send me an email or a short message via the Twittergram service that operates in most internet mail-box screens in the modern age.

Mohammed Shami is the man for the other end, and he’s immediately conceding three to a good Smith shot, forcing off the back foot. Shami went for plenty of runs yesterday. We’ve learned that Indian speedster Varun Aaron went home or is soon to go home following a family bereavement, and will return by Sydney. So all those who criticised his being left out can have a tiny shoosh moment.

Brad Haddin has been Captain Strugglepants this series, but he decides to get busy this morning, clobbering a Shami short ball fine of fine leg on the pull shot for four. Then a single to the same stroke, a little squarer. Another gilt-edged diamond-encrusted Shami over.

10.42am AEST23:42

91st over: Australia 261-5 (Smith 73, Haddin 23)

Good morning sports fans. Sorry for the lack of preamble, we had a bit of trouble getting the live blog to be live this morning. And a live blog without liveness is a contradiction indeed. Anyway, I would have just waffled on about Steve Smith looking the goods yesterday and being well on track for a third ton in succession, and Brad Haddin weathering a bouncer barrage late last night to survive through to this morning.

Glorious sunshine here at the MCG on a temperate day with the match evenly poised. A couple of quick wickets and India are ascendant, one more decent partnership and Australia take line honours.

Ishant Sharma begins the day with a no ball, then a single to Smith through cover, bowling a good line.