Centurions Jaiswal, Kohli wear down Australia as India eyes big win

By Joel Dubber

PERTH -Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli hardly put a foot wrong en route to magnificent centuries in Perth on Sunday as India declared on 487-6 and sent Australia reeling 12-3 at stumps and trailing by 521 runs on day three of the first test.

The visitors scored 150 in their first innings before bowling Australia out for 104 with the conditions still favoring the seam.

Jaiswal scored a consequential 161 to claim the title of heir to Kohli as India’s batting figure, but the former captain showed he is not ready to relinquish the reins just yet with a fine unbeaten 100.

With a menacing declaration and increasing urgency, Kohli broke his 16-month drought in the final hour, sweeping Marnus Labuschagne for four to the rapturous approval of the crowd’s many Indian supporters.

During a tricky five overs before stumps, paceman Jasprit Bumrah dismissed debutant Nathan McSweeney and Labuschagne, both lbw, while nightwatchman Cummins got Mohammed Siraj running, leaving Usman Khawaja unbeaten on three with an almighty mountain to climb.

Resuming on 90 overnight, helped by a flattening pitch, Jaiswal brought up his fourth Test hundred inside the first hour and bold upper-cut pacer Josh Hazlewood to deep fine leg.

The new sensation had a moment to ponder his celebration when the umpires checked for a four or six and after confirmation that it cleared the boundary rope, he raised his arms and embraced his opening partner KL Rahul.

Rahul soon departed for 77, letting paceman Mitchell Starc go to keeper Alex Carey, bringing India’s highest opening stand Down Under of 201 to an end.

Jaiswal, whose innings started conservatively, became increasingly aggressive as the ball aged and the fielders tired, bashing and slashing to force unorthodox field placements, including a fly slip 15 meters in from the boundary.

His only false shot came when Cummins, around the wicket, crowded the batsman for space and a late cut flew just over Steven Smith’s outstretched hand at second slip.

Jaiswal pushed his luck too far against all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, however, with a full-blooded cut that was slurped by Smith after lunch.

A brief resurgence was in store for the world champions, who claimed three wickets in 18 balls, but Kohli combined with all-rounder Washington Sundar to heap misery on the beleaguered bowlers, who conceded 55 extras.

Nathan Lyon spun through Sundar’s defense and brought debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy to the crease, who attacked the spread field with Kohli as skipper Bumrah saw a declaration.

Kohli dissected the field with ease, collecting eight fours and two sixes before kissing wife and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma as he reached his 30th Test century.

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