The West Test: India increase large lead on day three against Australia in Perth

Australia must produce their greatest-ever fourth-innings chase to pull off a Perth victory that would now be considered a miracle.

The hosts — and series favourites — are waiting on the guillotine for India to take a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series after a disastrous display in The West Test.

But they did have some sting in the tail during the middle session on day three, claiming three wickets.

India are 5-359 at tea and their lead has climbed to 404, with the target now bigger than any Australia has chased down in their long Test history.

Arthur Morris and Don Bradman scored centuries in a score of 3-404 to beat England at Leeds in 1948, a mark that would need to be bettered if the Aussies are to salute in Perth.

Indian cricket prince Yashasvi Jaiswal’s stunning century stand finally came to an end in the middle session on 161.

The young gun received a rousing standing ovation and saluted the Perth Stadium crowd as he left the ground after slashing a ball to Steve Smith at backward-point.

His dismissal, just before drinks in the middle session, was Australia’s third of the day. Josh Hazlewood’s wicket of Devdutt Padikkal with the first ball after lunch brought megastar Virat Kohli to the crease.

Dhruv Jurel was dismissed by Pat Cummins with the first ball after the drinks break for one. He reviewed an lbw shout that was only just kissing leg-stump on ball-tracking.

Both Kohli and Washington Sundar launched sixes in the middle session as India ramped up the pace. Kohli is on 40 and Washington 14 at the final break of the day.

But in an alarming sign for Australia ahead of what looms as a monster fourth-innings chase, a Pat Cummins ball to Kohli moments before drinks stayed low and skimmed through below knee-roll height.

Mitch Marsh shrugged off any concern over an ankle injury and bowled for the first time on the third day, claiming the prized wicket of Jaiswal — his third of the game.

Earlier, Australia’s final hope, the second new ball, arrived in the shadows of the lunch break, but it largely failed to slow India’s surge.

Jaiswal began Sunday morning on 90, racing to his century in 25 minutes, and is now on 141.

Australian broke through for the first time in 63 overs when Hazlewood caught the outside-edge of KL Rahul on 77.

Travis Head bowled off-spin and Marnus Labuschagne wheeled out more of his new medium-pacers in the overs before the new ball.

Hazlewood’s first over with the fresh Kookaburra was wayward. He flung two balls down the leg side, both flying past Alex Carey for four byes.

Starc began his first over with a half-volley that was punished down the ground by Jaiswal.

Jaiswal dropped a single into gully off Hazlewood’s first delivery of the day and then flicked a Starc bouncer in a free-flowing over to clear the slips and find the boundary.

But the most remarkable stroke of the morning was a flicked six off Hazlewood that pitched on the fine leg boundary rope, bringing up his century with a glorious piece of innovation.

He then dropped his bat on the ground and raised two arms in the air in celebration.

Former Australian opener Simon Katich described it as a “magnificent knock by the young man”.

After battling to defend the hard length delivered time and again by Hazlewood early in his innings on Saturday, Jaiswal crafted a special knock.

The opener drove delightfully through cover when Australia offered him width and pulled out a stunning party trick when he straight-bat flicked a Pat Cummins short ball over the cordon for four.

The only real chance he offered was am edge into the cordon that caught Usman Khawaja on the back foot and fell just short. Moments later he whipped Cummins for six and belted Nathan Lyon for another.

Jaiswal and Rahul now own the biggest opening partnership ever by an Indian duo in Australia, passing Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth’s 191, made in Sydney in 1986.

HIGHEST TEST SCORES BY A VISITING PLAYER IN PERTH

• Ross Taylor (NZ): 290 in 2015
• Hashim Amla (SA): 196 in 2012
• Roy Fredericks (WI): 169 in 1975
• AB de Villiers (SA): 169 in 2012
• Kane Williamson (NZ): 166 in 2015
• Chris Broad (Eng): 162 in 1986
• YASHASVI JAISWAL (Ind): 161 in 2024