Australia are in control of the World Test Championship final after Steve Smith’s 31st century was followed by his side ripping through India’s top order at The Kia Oval.
Smith turned his overnight 95 not out into 121 at a ground where he now averages 102 as the Baggy Greens were dismissed for 469 on day two before India slumped to 71-4 in reply and eventually closed on 151-5, still 318 runs in arrears.
Australia, who had resumed on Thursday morning on 327-3, lost their last seven wickets for 108 runs once a 285-run stand for the fourth wicket between Smith and Travis Head (163 off 174) ended when the latter gloved a short ball from Mohammed Siraj (4-108) behind.
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But Pat Cummins’ men still notched an imposing first-innings total – and then sent Rohit Sharma (15), Shubman Gill (13), Cheteswar Pujara (14) and Virat Kohli (14) on their way, giving a reminder of their bowling strength ahead of the Ashes series from Friday June 16.
Ravindra Jadeja (48 off 51) counter-punched for India, bossing a fifth-wicket stand of 71 with Ajinkya Rahane (29no), before he clipped off-spinner Nathan Lyon behind.
Rahane, reprieved by a Cummins no-ball on 17 as the Australia skipper overstepped, is now batting alongside Srikar Bharat (5no).
Australia shred India top order after Smith century
Cummins trapped opposition skipper Rohit lbw from the final ball of the sixth over, before Scott Boland – playing for Australia with fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood nursing Achilles and side issues – cleaned up Gill four balls later as the batter shouldered arms to a nip-backer.
Pujara made the same mistake, bowled leaving an in-ducker from Cameron Green, while Mitchell Starc then produced a ripper of a delivery to leap up and take the shoulder of Kohli’s bat – Smith with the catch at second slip.
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Smith had earlier completed a 229-ball century with successive fours off Siraj in the opening over of day two, clinching his third hundred at The Kia Oval and seventh in England.
Head, who had completed a 106-ball ton on the first evening, passed 150 from 164 deliveries when he chopped Mohammed Shami through gully for four but then departed three overs later as India’s short-ball ploy finally paid off.
Head’s exit left Australia 361-4 and triggered a collapse of 4-41, with Green (6) snicking Shami to slip, Smith chopping Shardul Thakur onto his stumps, and Starc (5) run out by a direct hit from substitute fielder Axar Patel.
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Alex Carey (48 off 69) dominated a 51-run stand with Cummins (9) for the eighth wicket from 402-7 before he was trapped lbw by India’s sole spinner Jadeja and Siraj mopped up the tail.
Watch day three of the World Test Championship final live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Friday (first ball at 10.30am).
Then catch The Ashes live on Sky Sports Cricket across June and July. The opening Test starts on Friday June 16, with build-up from 9.30am ahead of the first ball at 11am.
