Münchener Post - Australia 91 runs from victory in knife-edge fifth India Test

At lunch on day three at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia were 71-3 with Usman Khawaja on 19 and Travis Head not out five.

Sam Konstas (22), Marnus Labuschagne (six) and Steve Smith (four) all fell to an India attack missing the injured Jasprit Bumrah.

Smith agonisingly fell just one short of becoming only the 15th player and fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs, leaving him on 9,999.

India were dismissed 45 minutes into the morning session for 157, adding just 16 to their overnight 141-6.

The irrepressible Scott Boland ended with 6-45 and 10 wickets for the match while Pat Cummins took 3-44.

Australia are 2-1 up in the series and will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw.

Victory would also put them into the World Test Championship final in June at Lord's against South Africa.

Indian pace spearhead and skipper Bumrah, who has been dealing with a back issue, batted briefly after bowling just one over and leaving the field during the final session Saturday.

He was the last man out without scoring, but in a huge setback the 31-year-old did not take the field again.

It left Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna to lead the attack, with Virat Kohli in charge.

It appeared to be a difficult chase on a deteriorating surface offering plenty for the bowlers, but Konstas and Usman Khawaja had other ideas.

They raced to 35 off the first three overs, with teenager Konstas hitting out.

It proved his downfall, unnecessarily lashing at a good length ball from Prasidh only to sky it to Washington Sundar at mid-off.

Prasidh then knocked over Labuschagne, caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at slip, with the same pair removing Smith, who was fending off a rising ball.

India resumed after a counter-attacking 61 from Rishabh Pant helped build their lead.

Ravindra Jadeja began on eight and Sundar on six after they dismissed Australia for 181 in reply to their first-innings 185.

Jadeja crunched an early boundary off Cummins, but he was out two balls later, getting a faint nick to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, adding just five to his overnight score.

The Australian skipper struck again to bowl Sundar for 12.

That brought Bumrah to the crease and he could only watch as Siraj edged Boland to Khawaja at slip to give the big Australian his fifth wicket.

Boland, whose line and length have been impeccable all series, then bowled Bumrah to end the innings.

E.Schmitt--MP