The ball was ruthlessly dismissed to the different corners of the field. Australia had put its foot on the accelerator.
The Australian onslaught in the final session, on a surface that offered spin, also reflected poorly on the Indian bowling and fielding.
The visitor, shockingly, conceded 213 runs after tea as Australia raced to 251 for six in 40 overs, leading India by 348 runs going into the final day of the fourth Test here at the SCG.
Focus will be on the weather too. The forecast for Saturday is cloud-cover without rain. You can never tell, though, and it did drizzle here towards the end of the day’s play.
The Indian lower-order fought hard — R. Ashwin came up with a determined innings of 50 — in the first two sessions to reach 475. But then, the inability to create pressure despite two early strikes proved India’s undoing.
The host was not complaining. The majestic Steven Smith (71) batted with the kind of authority that befits those on course for greatness.
The free-stroking Chris Rogers (56) produced his sixth successive half-century and then the aggressive Joe Burns blasted a 39-ball 66. Brad Haddin’s cameo (31 batting) lifted the tempo too.
Ashwin, opening the bowling, dismissed the left-handed David Warner with turn and bounce. He then had Shane Watson under-edging a cut and playing on.
The regal Smith handled the off-spinner capably. A six over extra-cover, against the turn, with nimble footwork was as good as they come.
The ease with which he gets into positions underlines Smith’s batsmanship. Quality batting is often about subtle adjustments, in keeping with the nature of the track.
Milestone man Smith was eventually dismissed by a Mohammed Shami delivery that skidded in.
Earlier, Rogers had perished to a miscued pull off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and southpaw Shaun Marsh had been snaffled up at slip off Ashwin.
India then let an opportunity go by as Wriddhiman Saha missed a leg-side stumping to reprieve Joe Burns (on 17) off Ashwin.
Like Smith, Burns clobbered a woefully inept Umesh Yadav. He then launched into Ashwin, slog-sweeping the off-spinner, going deep into his crease for the pulls, and lofting the ball over the off-side field.
Despite his four wickets, Ashwin should have bowled better on this surface. He did not operate to a steady line and later, Burns disrupted the off-spinner’s length as well. Consistency, more than variety, was the answer on the fourth day pitch.
In the morning, Kohli (147) walked back dejected after flicking Ryan Harris to an alert Rogers at mid-wicket. He received a thunderous ovation.
Saha’s plucky innings (35) ended when he was prised out by a lifting delivery from Josh Hazlewood.
There was finally some substance in India’s lower-order, as Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar added a vital 65 for the eighth wicket.
Australia — its catching has been way below par — dropped another one at short-leg when Burns put down Bhuvneshwar (on 0) off Lyon.
The manner of Bhuvneshwar’s eventual dismissal — he was given out by the third umpire after the on-field umpires were unsure whether it was a bump ball — raised several questions. He was adjudged caught at slip off Lyon when replays seemed to indicate the ball had gone off the turf.
Sensational Smith
Steve Smith, with 769 runs at 128.16, breaks Don Bradman’s record (715) for the most runs in an India-Australia Test series. Bradman set the mark in the five-Test series in the 1947-48 season
Scoreboard
Australia — 1st innings: 572 for seven decl.
India — 1st innings: M. Vijay c Haddin b Starc 0 (3b), K.L. Rahul c & b Starc 110 (262b, 13x4, 1x6), R. Sharma b Lyon 53 (133b, 5x4, 2x6), V. Kohli c Rogers b Harris 147 (230b, 20x4), A. Rahane lbw b Watson 13 (31b), S. Raina c Haddin b Watson 0 (1b), W. Saha c Smith b Hazlewood 35 (96b, 3x4), R. Ashwin c Haddin b Starc 50 (111b, 6x4), Bhuvneshwar c Watson b Lyon 30 (75b, 5x4), M. Shami (not out) 16 (26b, 2x4, 1x6), U. Yadav c Haddin b Harris 4 (9b, 1x4); Extras (b-4, lb-7, w-1, nb-5) 17; Total (in 162 overs): 475.
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Vijay), 2-97 (R. Sharma), 3-238 (Rahul), 4-292 (Rahane), 5-292 (Raina), 6-352 (Kohli), 7-383 (Saha), 8-448 (Bhuvneshwar), 9-456 (Ashwin).
Australia bowling: Starc 32-7-106-3, Harris 31-7-96-2, Hazlewood 29-8-64-1, Lyon 46-11-123-2, Watson 20-4-58-2, Smith 4-0-17-0.
Australia — 2nd innings: C. Rogers c Raina b Bhuvneshwar 56 (77b, 7x4), D. Warner c Vijay b Ashwin 4 (5b), S. Watson b Ashwin 16 (17b, 3x4), S. Smith lbw b Shami 71 (70b, 8x4, 1x6), S. Marsh c Vijay b Ashwin 1 (4b), J. Burns c Yadav b Ashwin 66 (39b, 8x4, 3x6), B. Haddin (batting) 31 (30b, 2x4, 2x6), R. Harris (batting) 0 (0b); Extras (b-2, lb-2, nb-2) 6; Total (for six wkts. in 40 overs): 251.
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Warner), 2-46 (Watson), 3-126 (Rogers), 4-139 (S. Marsh), 5-165 (Smith), 6-251 (Burns).
India bowling: Bhuvneshwar 8-0-46-1, Ashwin 19-2-105-4, Shami 6-0-33-1, Yadav 3-0-45-0, Raina 4-0-18-0.
