India's late collapse hands Australia a 2-1 series advantage

Australia defeated India by 184 runs in the Test match. In the first innings, Australia scored 474, with Steve Smith contributing 140 runs and Marnus Labuschagne scoring 72 runs. Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah took 4 wickets for 99 runs. India managed to score 369 runs in their first innings, with Mayank Reddy scoring 114 runs and Yashasvi Jaiswal adding 82 runs. Australian bowler Scott Boland took 3 wickets for 57 runs. In the second innings, Australia scored 234 runs, with Labuschagne top-scoring with 70 runs. Bumrah took 5 wickets for 57 runs. India struggled in their second innings, managing only 155 runs. Jaiswal was the top scorer with 84 runs, but it was not enough to avoid defeat. Australian bowler Pat Cummins took 3 wickets for 28 runs, while Boland also took 3 wickets for 39 runs.

Early in the final hour at the MCG, Australia won an epic Test that had been played in front of a record crowd to take a 2-1 lead in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, having snared seven wickets in the final session when it appeared India were on track to save the game. Yashasvi Jaiswal defied the home side for 208 deliveries before falling to the herculean Pat Cummins while hometown star Scott Boland made three key incisions to secure one of Australia's most significant victories of recent history.

Nathan Lyon claimed the final wicket, when he pinned Mohammed Siraj lbw, sparking wild celebrations for the home side: a margin of 184 runs did not do justice to the tension and drama of the final day and the importance of the result to this Australia team who have turned their fortunes around after the crushing opening defeat in Perth.

After India had slid to 33 for 3, Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant added 88 in 32 overs to take India into the final session with seven wickets in hand, but Travis Head burgled a breakthrough and Australia seized their moment as India lost 7 for 34. The quick bowlers were immense, Mitchell Starc bowling in the mid-140kph region despite a back niggle, while Cummins and Boland added further chapters to previous MCG heroics.

There was a dose of controversy, too, when Jaiswal's rearguard was ended via the DRS after he gloved a pull against Cummins. Snicko did not register anything, but third umpire Sharfuddoula ruled he had seen a clear a deflection, which matched what was shown on TV. Jaiswal appeared to know he had hit it but spoke with the umpires on the way off. It meant India's lower order had 21 overs to survive and it proved too much.

The defeat means India's hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final are now out of their hands, but in terms of this series they can still retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with victory in Sydney. For Australia, a win in the final Test - and a 3-1 margin - would secure their spot in the WTC final alongside South Africa who qualified yesterday with their own gripping victory over Pakistan.

Full report to follow...