India vs Australia, WTC Final Day 3 Highlights: AUS lead by 296 runs at Stumps

Australia are 296 ahead but not as far as ahead as they could have been. Runs haven't exactly been easy to come by. Smith and Head tried to up the ante and ended up falling to Jadeja while Labuschagne and Green then decided to drop anchor. Labuschagne ends the day on 41 off 118, Green on 7 off 27. Green did get a thick inside edge off the second last ball of the last over of the day bowled by Shami and the ball just missed leg stump.

Both sides have been pretty poor in this department and it looks like we could lose about 18 to 20 overs by the end of this day over all in this Test. It has been some pulsating Test cricket on display but the match referee is sure to take cognisanze here. 

Labuschagne on 36 off 108, Green on 5 off 7. Jadeja has just bowled his ninth while Siraj has been taken off for Shami.

Head hits it straight back to Jadeja and he falls just two balls after getting a lifeline. Jadeja tosses it up, Head goes for a big cover drive and ends up miscuing it.

Head c & b Jadeja 18 (27), Australia 111/4

Umesh Yadav makes a complete meal of it. Head slog sweeps and it is going straight to Umesh at the ropes. But it bounces out of his hands and over the ropes.

Head living quite dangerously against Jadeja. He left the fourth ball of the 35th and that ripped in from the footmarks and flew over off stump. Lived to fight another day. He is on 11 off 19, Labuschagne on 36 off 99.

Head hooks Siraj's third delivery just over fine leg and Siraj is asking that fielder why he wasn't right at the boundary. It would have been a chance had he been in that position but in the end, it doesn't matter because Siraj had overstepped.

Jadeja all over Head in that 33rd over. The ball spat up on him off the third delivery, then the fourth beat him on the inside edge. His drive off the fifth was miscued back to the bowler.

Well, where did that come from. Smith skips down the track and goes for a big heave off the first ball of that over. Jadeja sees it and goes shorter and wider, Smith skies it straight to cover. What a big wicket that is.

Smith c Thakur b Jadeja 34 (47), Australia 86/3 in 30.1 overs

Labuschagne left on all fours with a good length delivery from Thakur nipping into him. The stand between these two is on 62.

Labuschagne on 35 off 82, Smith on 34 off 46. Australia are 86/2 and absolutely cruising now.

Fourth ball of the 27th by Jadeja to Smith, turns from a length and takes the edge but it falls short of slip and goes behind to the boundary.

Smith on 20 off 33, Labuschagne on 31 off 65 and Australia are 241 runs ahead. Real grind ahead now for India, the ball is no longer new and there is little help coming from the pitch. Smith and Labuschagne cruising along. It has been quite a while since either of these batters have been challenged, in fact Smith has never really been challenged.

Shardul Thakur brought into the attack and his first ball is a nice medium pace short ball at Labuschagne's hips. The Australian pulls and collects four from that freebie.

Ravindra Jadeja brought in for the first time and he goes through his over in less than a minute. Labuschagne is on 26 off 60 and Smith is on 19 off 32.

Siraj goes too full for the fourth ball of the 22nd, Labuschagne leans all the way forward and nails the cover drive.

Not from a cricket perspective, there is a gentleman wearing a red shirt behind the sight screen and Steve Smith is having none of it. He asks for that man to move from there, the man seems to be stubborn himself. Umpire Richard Illingworth makes the praying gesture with his hands towards him, asking him to please move. Finally the man is led away by one of the stadium staff.

So India have a target of 52 to chase. How they wish that could be true at the moment. But the reality is that Australia are 224 runs ahead and Smith and Labuschagne are now looking quite comfortable.

Labuschagne on 16 off 49, Smith on 13 off as many. Siraj was brought back into the attack to replace Shami with Umesh continuing from the other end.

The run rate has picked up now. Shami goes too full and straight and Labuschagne drives to the eight of mid-on.

Short from Shami but instead of defending or ducking underneath it, which is what Labuschagne and Khawaja have been doing all session, Smith dismisses it from his presence with a pull shot. He has raced to 7 off 2 here.

Poor one from Umesh, he gets a wicket off the first ball and then strays on to the pads with a full slip cordon present for the third. Labuschagne tucks that away fine. Rohit Sharma understandably not happy with that.

Khawaja takes a waft at a full delivery outside off, he only gets an edge to the wicketkeeper. India banking on this strange approach from Australia. They have been extremely defensive despite the huge lead that they have.

Khawaja c Bharat b Yadav 13 (39), Australia 24/2

There are still 45 overs left in the day and so this will be another two and a hour final session. The Indians are in their huddle as the Australians walk out.

India continue to have the momentum despite the fact that Australia are 193 runs ahead. How relieved would they be that they have this cushion that was provided by their batters over the course of Day 1 and Day 2. Despite the good work, it remains a major uphill struggle for India to turn it around a win for them continues to look improbable.