Rookie test opener Marcus Harris was caught in India's well-set trap. Photo / Getty
Rookie test opener Marcus Harris was caught in India's well-set trap. Photo / Getty
The Australian batsmen have capitulated in the first three hours of the third day of the third test against India in Melbourne after the visitors' mammoth 443-7 dec.
The home side managed to scrape to 114-6 halfway through the second session, with captain Tim Paine and Pat Cummins at thecrease.
Australia's bowlers would have been looking forward to finally putting their feet up after two days of toil at the MCG but any hopes of watching the top order go into cruise control — as India's did — were dashed when the Aussies imploded on the same track that had been criticised for its lack of life during the first two days.
The Aussies lost four wickets in the first session and two shortly after the break to stumble to 102-6.
Jasprit Bumrah of India is congratulated by teammates after getting the wicket of Shaun Marsh. Photo / Getty
India struck with the last ball before lunch, getting Shaun Marsh out LBW for 19, when Jasprit Bumrah experimented with a slower ball and the gamble paid off.
He completely fooled Marsh as the left-hander played far too early and the ball dipped on him, hitting him on the toes in front of the pegs.
The Aussies went to lunch at 89-4, prompting former test opener Michael Slater to tell Channel 7 too many players were getting starts without going on with it, saying it's "not good enough".
Travis Head was sent packing after being bowled by a peach from Bumrah after lunch.
The young Aussie bat over-committed to a drive off the Indian seamer and inside edged the cherry back onto his stumps, ending his innings on 20.
Earlier Usman Khawaja was looking confident but his dismissal for 21 saw Australia fall further into disarray.
Usman Khawaja fell early. Photo / Getty
The left-hander prodded forward to spinner Ravindra Jadeja and got an inside edge that was snaffled by short leg to leave the home side reeling at 3/53.
That wicket saw Head join Marsh, who was looking ordinary as he took 17 balls to get off the mark.
All of a sudden the wicket that seemed so easy for batting on days one and two didn't seem so flat, especially after Jadeja's wicket ball exploded with a puff of dirt after pitching, which Channel 7 analyst and NSW seamer Trent Copeland said would worry the Aussie batsmen.
"This is what (would) scare me as an Australian batsman, the puff of dust," he said. "Beautiful bowling from Jadeja but scary things to come."
And suddenly this is not a flat track anymore... #AusvInd
Aaron Finch fell for India's trap when he clipped a ball on his pads to short mid-wicket for eight.
The visitors got their first breakthrough in the fifth over of the day as debutant Mayank Agarwal took a sharp catch low to his left off Ishant Sharma's bowling.
Marcus Harris then followed a handful of overs later for 22 when he was caught hooking Bumrah to fine leg.
The left-hander was struck on the head by a short ball yesterday and today got a top edge to a well-directed bouncer that went straight to Sharma in the deep.
Mitchell Marsh was dismised for 9 in Australia's disastrous first innings. Photo / Getty
Harris was heavily criticised for his 'brain snap' while Mitchell Marsh was also slammed.
He had been booed by sections of the MCG crowd on Thursday after replacing local hero Peter Hanscomb in the Australian XI.
Ridiculous batting from Marcus Harris. Trailing by 407, and he hooks down to fine leg and is caught. You're an opening batsman.. is that really necessary!?! #AUSvIND
