India vs Australia Highlights, 4th Test Day 3: Nitish Reddy headlines IND comeback with maiden ton, trail by 116 runs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: NO! Jasprit Bumrah fails to see off Pat Cummins! The Aussie captain dismisses Bumrah off the third delivery of the match. Nitish Reddy is stranded at 99 on the other end. Can Mohammed Siraj see off Cummins? Tension building at the MCG!

350/9

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: The Indian bowler joins Nitish Reddy in the middle. The batter is currently playing on 99 after taking a double off Scott Boland. However, Bumrah is now on strike against Cummins.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Oh no. Nathan Lyon finally ends Washington Sundar's gritty knock. A brilliant delivery from the spinner, though, as he gets it to turn sharply away from the left-hander. Sundar, who had already committed to a front-foot defensive shot, gets the glove off the ball with the first slip making no mistake. Big blow for India, but a brilliant knock under pressure from Sundar.

348/8

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Nitish Reddy, meanwhile, remains steady at the other end, comfortably cruising on his way towards what could be a maiden Test century. He smashes Nathan Lyon for a four to move to 94.

345/7

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: A brilliant knock from Washington Sundar! Indian flags flying high throughout the MCG as Sundar acknowledges the crowd with a single against Lyon. A valiant innings under pressure from Sundar, as he combines with Nitish Kumar Reddy to bring India well and truly back into the game!

345/7

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Nathan Lyon to replace Marsh now in the 104th over. Australia are just not being able to find a way through this partnership, can Lyon do something here? Reddy has moved to 87 off 136 balls, Washington Sundar on 44 off 134. The run rate has gone down to a trickle in this partnership since the start of the session but Reddy and Sundar don't seem to be bothered by that one bit.

India 332/7 in 103 overs, trail by 142 runs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Both Sundar and Reddy have played and missed a couple of times but they are not extending their luck any further. Reddy shoulders arms at the last ball of Starc's second over of the session and it is still Marsh from the other end. Well one way of looking at it is that Australia are getting some overs from him at long lasta.

Meanwhile, the stand between Sundar and Reddy has reached 109, which is the second highest for India for the eighth wicket.

India 328/7 in 101 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Both batters unbothered by Starc in that over really. Reddy runs a single off the fourth ball after which Sundar defends the next two down. Marsh is continuing from the other end which is quite strange. One would've thought Cummins would've brought himself or Boland considering the two batters are having to start again and one of them has a maiden Test century in sight.

India 327/7 in 99 overs, trail by 147

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Mitchell Starc got some treatment during the break and so he is good to go for the third session straightaway, steams in from the other end. Reddy on strike, he is on 85 off 119. Marsh started off with a maiden.

India 326/7, trail by 148 runs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Well just as Mitchell Marsh loads up for the first ball of the 98th over, we can see a few spots of rain at the ground. He still steams in though, Washington Sundar on strike on 40, Reddy at the other end on 85.

India 326/7 in 97 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: It is safe to say that Sunil Gavaskar was not too happy with Rishabh Pant today. This is what he had to say about Pant's dismissal while doing commentary for the Australia Broadcasting Corporation: "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You've got two fielders there and you still go for that. You've missed the previous shot and look where you've been caught! You've been caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket! You have to understand the situation as well. You cannot say that's your natural game! I'm sorry! That is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot, that is letting your team down badly! He should not be going into that dressing room! He should be going into the other dressing room!"

The number of exclamatory marks in that quote is an attempt to do justice to his tone there. That is possibly what a batter heard in the Indian dressing room when fell in that manner when Gavaskar was captain. Wonder if the current Indian management believes in holding their senior batters accountable in this fashion.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: The weather has improved a lot, the umpires are out there doing an inspection and the big covers are being removed. We should have a resumption very soon.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: When the day started the talk was about how India can avoid the follow-on. That talk intensified when Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja fell, reducing India to a score of 221/7. But Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar have put together a masterclass of a last-ditch stand and India are 326/7 at the end of the second session. Not only have India avoided the follow-on, their deficit is now just 148 runs. All of this means that India now have a very good chance at avoiding defeat in this Test. Remember that Australia have to win this to stand a chance at winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2015.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Well this break could be extended a little but this is still not a big shower. The radar shows that all of it should blow away pretty soon. Will this eight-wicket stand blow away just the same way for Australia whenever play resumes? We will have to wait to find out.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Well the players walk off the field all of a sudden. There has been a steady cloud cover for a while now and the lights had taken full effect, those shadows could be seen in the last few minutes as well. Early Tea taken and that gives Australia some time to regroup. Reddy and Sundar seemed to have pulled the rug from under their feet. They were starting to hit shots at will and they have rotated strike perfectly throughout this stand. Now, India's deficit has gone below 150. The stand between these two is on 105 off 195 balls.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Reddy flicks the fifth ball of that over from Marsh in the air, Starc runs in from long leg and puts in a dive but the ball falls just short of him. It goes to the boundary behind him as well. Then Reddy punches the last ball past cover emphatically and that takes this stand past 100 in 190 balls.

India 324/7 in 96 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Starc was clutching his back after the third ball of the 95th over and the physio is now taking a look at him by the boundary. Mitch Marsh comes in to bowl just his fourth over of this innings. Reddy is on 77 off 112 balls, Sundar on 39 off 108 balls.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: The stand between Reddy and Sundar has now reached 90 with that shot. Nitish ran a single off the first ball, Sundar ran one off the third and then Reddy ran two off the fifth. Lyon then invites Reddy to drive but it isn't quite full enough. The batter leans back and crashes it over covers for another four. Reddy moves to 77 off 112, Sundar on 35 off 102.

India 311/7 in 94 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Lyon has been introduced in place of Cummins. Sundar is on 34 off 96, Reddy is on 69 off 106. This partnership has reduced India's deficit to 172 runs. Australia have a right toil in their hands at the moment.

India 302/7 in 92 over

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Frame that one. And frame for comedic purposes a failed reverse scoop Reddy attempted off Boland earlier in the over which had Carey ducking to save his head. Boland had hit Reddy on his arm with the second ball and the batter responded by trying an audacious reverse scoop. Reddy then meets the last ball, angling into him and full, with a Tendulkar-esque straight drive for four. Reddy on 66 off 100 balls, Sundar on 33 off 84 balls.

India 298/7 in 89 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: A slip and a gully for Boland as he continues in the 89th over. Alex Carey is standing up to him which is quite brave to say the least. Reddy on strike.

India 294/7 in 88 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: An excellent hour for India, probably better than they would've have dared to expect. Three runs for Sundar and one for Reddy in that over. They have played a couple of chanceless knocks in this second session. Sundar is on 33 off 84, Reddy on 62 off 94. Partnership between them is on 79 off 139 balls for the eighth wicket.

India 294/7 in 88 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Perhaps for the first time today, the Australians show some frustration. Sundar steered the third ball through point and the batters ran three. Reddy gets a single fifth ball and then Sundar times a clip through midwicket last ball perfectly. The ball is chased down and thrown back, by which time the two young all-rounders run four. Starc throws his arms up in frustration at that. Sundar is on 29 off 72 at the end of that over, Reddy on 55 off 88.

India 283/7 in 85 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Sundar punches Cummins through covers second ball of the 84th and the batters run three. That takes the stand past 50 in 111 balls. Reddy takes a single next ball and Sundar works the fifth ball off the hips for another. That takes India's deficit below 200 and they thus avoid the follow-on. Big appeal for LBW off the last ball, umpire turns it down and Australia don't review. Reddy on 54 off 86 at the end of that over, Sundar on 22 off 68.

India 275/7 in 84 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Starc gives him width outside off and Reddy cashes in. He lofts it square off side and sends it to the boundary to raise his maiden Test half-century. It has come in 81 balls and it has been a real grind for him, especially in this session. What a player this man is turning out to be. He celebrates by doing that Pushpa beard thing with his bat. India have uncovered a flower who is turning out to be quite the fire.

India 268/7 in 82.3 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Runs at long last for Reddy off Cummins. He is showing once again that he is not just a dasher. The first ball jumps at Reddy from short of a length, the second ball is left. Reddy is beaten by the third ball and then he punches the fourth beautifully past mid-off to run three. Sundar is beaten by the fifth ball and he leaves the last one. Reddy on 47 off 78 balls, Sundar is on 18 off 64 balls.

India 264/7 in 82 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Oh if that was caught, it would be remembered as one of the more bizarre wickets that Starc has ever taken and probably the catch of the year from Smith. In fact he did very well to even respond to that and get to it. Third ball of that first over with the 2nd new ball is fired down the leg side, Sundar tries clipping it away and it takes an inside edge and flies to the left of Smith at second slip in the unlikeliest of fashions. Smith dives and just about fails to hold on. No runs in that over, Sundar stays on 18 off 62, Reddy on 44 off 74.

Cummins to steam in from the other end and once again, Reddy will be on strike.

India 261/7 in 81 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Washington Sundar is on strike, Australia have taken the new cherry. One way or another, the tempo of this match is going to change now. Sundar is on 18 off 56, Reddy on 44 off 74.

India 261/7 in 80 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Also, Australia are five overs behind on the over-rate and with the WTC final race heating up, they would surely be worried about that. Head had bowled one over before Lunch, now he is back to replace Cummins and he will be bowling to Reddy, who will be somewhat relieved by that development.

India 256/7 in 77 overs, trail by 218 runs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: More hostile bowling from Cummins at Reddy and the latter having to really arch his back to avoid some of the snorters in the 76th over. Travis Head, the SRH opener, has a word with him after the third ball, Konstas getting involved with the crowd after the fourth. It's all happening at the 'G!

India 253/7 in 76 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Sundar gets off strike fifth ball of the first over of the session from Cummins and then Reddy cops one around his armpit. This one absolutely spits up at Reddy, he tries to fend it away staying within the line of the ball, replays show that it had him right in the armpit, bullsey. Cummins did bowl a few cannons at Reddy's head in the previous session so no considerations today from the Aussie captain to his SRH teammate. The physio comes out and takes a look, he is good to go. Lyon to bowl to Sundar from the other end.

India 247/7 in 74 overs, trail by 226

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: All right captain Pat Cummins has the ball in his hands. Washington Sundar facing up on five off 27 balls, Nitish Kumar Reddy at the other end on 40 off 61.

India 244/7, trail by 230

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: As stated earlier, Nitish Kumar Reddy had to channel his inner Keanu Reeves to save his head against his Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Nitish Kumar Reddy has raced to 40 off 61 balls, Washington Sundar at the other end on five off 27. Reddy has been just brilliant in this session but the standout are definitely the Australian bowlers. They have exhibited excellent control to ensure that the Indians had to play a majority of the balls and could do little more than defend them most of the time as well. Which is where Reddy has been a standout. He has used his feet well and has reached within 10 runs of his half-century in the blink of an eye. His efforts have left India within 30 runs of avoiding the follow-on and they trail by 230 runs overall.

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Reddy has definitely tucked away the big shots since Jadeja's dismissal. And that is largely because of Cummins nailing some absolute snorters in the 68th over. He had Reddy ducking and weaving with some awkward bouncers, with the Fox halo for the third ball really making the batter look like Neo from The Matrix the way he arched his back to save his head. Sundar and Reddy take singles each off the next over by Lyon and the latter stays on strike for Cummins. He is on 30 off 49, Sundar on two off 15.

India 231/7 in 69 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Oh he is looking good and then some. His footwork has been exquisite thus far today. He dances down to the second ball of the 67th over by Lyon and hits it straight back over the bowler's head for the first six of the day. He takes a single next ball and then Sundar keeps out the rest. Reddy on 29 off 42 balls, Sundar on one off 10. Cummins returned previous over and he continues for the 68th.

India 229/7 in 67 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Appeal for LBW and given! Jadeja reviews but this looked plumb in real time. Jadeja had cut the previous ball to backward point. Lyon sees that and drops the ball at a length, just millimetres shorter than the previous four balls of the over. But it is not short enough for Jadeja to go to the back foot, he tries to hurriedly work it around his pads and misses it. No bat on it, the replays show and the ball-tracking actually holds up the umpire's call. India down to their last all-rounder pair.

Jadeja lbw b Lyon 17 (51)

India 221/7 in 64.5 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: If we ignore the risky singles, this has been quite a handy little partnership already for India, largely thanks to Reddy. He has raced to 20 off 29 balls, Jadeja at the other end is watchful and patient, except when running between the wickets. He has made 12 off 44 balls. Reddy stayed on strike by taking a single off the last ball of the 62nd over by Starc and now Lyon continues from the other end.

India 214/6 in 62 overs, trail by 260 runs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Well India are losing the plot running between the wickets really. Either that or they have been told by Gambhir and Rohit that they have to try and score as many runs as quickly as possible regardless of whether they actually succeed to do that or not. There was a very tight single off the third ball of the 59th over by Lyon and then another right one off the fifth ball of the next over by Starc. The latter featured a sensational piece of fielding by Cummins, throwing himself to his right at mid-on and finding the stumps despite releasing it while falling down. Will that convince India to take it easy? Reddy has raced to 16 off 18, Jadeja on 12 off 43.

India 210/6 in 60 overs

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Score: Reddy off the mark with the second ball that he faced, he drives the fourth ball of the next over by Lyon past mid-off for a four, a lovely shot there. His second boundary comes off the last ball of the next over by Starc, an edge that flies past gully to the boundary. That takes India's score to 200.

India 203/6 in 58 overs