Bumrah puts India in control after Kohli, Jaiswal rout Australia with tons

PERTH: Jasprit Bumrah dismantled Australia’s top-order with twin strikes after Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s centuries powered them to set a daunting target on the third day of the first Test here at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

At the stumps on day three, Australia were reeling at 12/3 while chasing a mammoth target of 534.

In the dying minutes of the eventful day, Bumrah started from where he left off as he dismissed debutant opener Nathan McSweeney (zero) and Marnus Labucshagne (three), while nightwatchman Pat Cummins fell victim to Mohammed Siraj after managing just two.

Left-handed opener Usman Khawaja, unbeaten on three, will resume Australia’s pursuit with veteran Steve Smith.

Earlier, India declared their second innings at 487/6d, immediately after Kohli’s record-breaking century.

The touring side resumed their second innings from the overnight score of 172/0 through openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the start of the third day.

The duo added a further 29 runs to their stand until Mitchell Starc provided a much-needed breakthrough to the home side by getting Rahul caught behind on 77.

Jaiswal then put together a one-sided 74-run partnership for the second-wicket with Devdutt Padikkal, who made a cautious 25 off 71 deliveries before falling victim to Josh Hazlewood in the 86th over.

The opening batter eventually walked back after top-scoring for India with a sensational 161 off 297 deliveries, peppered with 15 fours and three sixes.

His dismissal sparked a brief middle-order collapse which had reduced India to 321/5.

But an anchoring 89-run partnership between Kohli and Washington Sundar pushed their lead beyond the 450-run barrier. Sundar contributed with a resilient 29 off 94 deliveries.

Kohli was then joined by first innings’ top-scorer Nitish Kumar Reddy and the duo added 77 runs for the seventh wicket from just 52 deliveries until stand-in captain Bumrah called for declaration as soon as the former brought up his drought-ending century.

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 off 143 balls, studded with 10 boundaries including two sixes, while Reddy scored 38 not out from 27 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.

Nathan Lyon was the standout bowler for Australia, picking up two wickets, while Hazlewood, Starc, Cummins and Mitchell Marsh made one scalp apiece.