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Watch: Aussies combine for two one-handed screamers

And one brings two, and what a follow-up it is to send Rana on his way. Nathan McSweeney dives at full stretch to his left in the gully. He gets one hand to it, and a fair piece of a healthy edge that went quickly.

Test cricket - Figure 1 — Photo The Sydney Morning Herald

McSweeney can’t hang onto it, but Marnus Labuschagne can. He’s quick as anything and onto the rebound with his right hand. Utter reflex stuff and an absolute screamer.

Kumar and Marnus follow up with more pyrotechnics a moment later. Cummins bangs one in short, Kumar ramps it down to third man and Marnus is flying over the rope, trying in vain to hang onto another stunning grab. It’s six instead.

India 8-137: Kumar 34*, Bumrah 2*

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6.06pm

Wicket: Hazlewood strikes after Indian sixes

Who needs Rishabh Pant, we’ve got all the fireworks we need. Kumar and Marnus follow up the latter’s classic catch with more pyrotechnics a moment later.

Cummins bangs one in short, Kumar ramps it down to third man and Marnus is flying over the rope, trying in vain to hang onto another stunning grab. It’s six instead. Bumrah matches it with a leading edged pull that flies over the cordon for six more.

But Hazlewood has the last laugh with his fourth wicket by the end of the over. Bumrah caught behind for eight, a good diving effort from Alex Carey, who also has four catches today.

India 9-144: Kumar 35*, Siraj 0*

5.56pm

Watch: Aussies combine for two one-handed screamers

Test cricket - Figure 2 — Photo The Sydney Morning Herald

McSweeney can’t hang onto it, but Marnus Labuschagne can. He’s quick as anything and onto the rebound with his right hand. Utter reflex stuff and an absolute screamer.

India 8-137: Kumar 34*, Bumrah 2*

5.50pm

Wicket: Cummins nicks off Pant

And phenomenal mock from all and sundry wanting to see Pant run amok. He’s out. Pat Cummins with the breakthrough and his first wicket of the summer, Steve Smart hanging onto a sharp catch at second slip.

Pant looking to whip that one away but the bat face closes when he should’ve have been playing straight down the line into the offside. Cummins tempted him with a slightly fuller and wider one. Pant’s entertaining stint ends on 37. Debutant Harshit Rana to the crease and he makes a bright start with three runs angled behind point from his first ball. This is just his 11th first-class game, but he can hold a bat.

India 7-127: Kumar 27, Rana 3*

5.37pm

Six: Pant clears the rope while losing his feet

And now Rishabh’s flicking a six off his stumps from Pat Cummins, falling over as he steps across his stumps to do so. Ridiculous, fantastic batting.

It was a half-volley that ball, and they’re six down. Can’t help but admire the cojones on the Indian keeper. Especially when Kumar follows up with a classic straight drive for four off Hazlewood the next over. Something for everyone.

Test cricket - Figure 3 — Photo The Sydney Morning Herald

And in still frames, Rishabh Pant rewrites the batting manual.Credit: Getty Images

And finishes flat on his back.Credit: Getty Images

India 6-120: Pant 37*, Kumar 27*

5.18pm

Dropped: Cummins spills a tough chance

Yep, never boring with Rishabh at the crease. Pant tries to smack Mitch Starc down the ground, gets plenty of it but poorly timed, it goes miles up into the air.

Cummins does his best under the swirling ball but never looks comfortable at mid-on and spills it while diving.

Rishabh Pant skies one in Perth.Credit: Getty Images

Pant isn’t fazed, comes down the pitch one ball and hammers Lyon the next over - good fielding prevents the boundary in the deep. Next ball Kumar is reverse-sweeping for two, then a few balls later pumping the same shot squarer for four. Placed that right where Australia had moved their deep point from. It’s a good watch this partnership of 32.

India 6-105: Pant 28*, Kumar 21*

5.07pm

Missed chance: Gloved catch given not out

Swings and round-abouts on the DRS, Australia opt not to take it after going up for caught behind against Kumar. A lot of confusion out in the middle after a Mitch Starc bouncer had Kumar hooking down the leg side.

Given not out and Australia eventually opt not to review it. Replays show they should have, clear glove on the way through to Carey. Time for drinks.

India 6-93: Pant 26*, Kumar 11*

Test cricket - Figure 4 — Photo The Sydney Morning Herald

4.59pm

Analysis: Why Pant succeeds where his teammates fail

And just to prove a point, Nitish Kumar has piled into Nathan Lyon as he enters the attack. Two boundaries hitting through the line. Nice shots and tapping into the well-worn tactics of not letting the spinner settle.

India 6-91: Pant 25*, Kumar 10*

4.52pm

Marsh’s first double-wicket breakthrough in six years

In response to Tom’s astute observation, Rishabh Pant comes down the wicket and spanks Marsh over mid-off for a lofted boundary. Rishabh is always going to Rishabh.

India 6-82: Pant 25*, Kumar 1*

4.40pm

Wicket: Marsh the destroyer claims another

Mitch Marsh gets those big pins of his pumping in celebration and rightly so, he’s got another wicket.

Washington Sundar fends at a back-of-a-length ball and only succeeds in edging to Alex Carey again.

That’s Carey’s third catch of the innings and once again, the pressure just suffocates the tourists.

Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy to the crease, imagine Rishabh Pant puts the foot down sooner rather than later as Australia’s bowlers go in for the kill.

Moments later Cummins has Pant coming forward to a full ball and there’s a noise as it goes through to the keeper again. Not-out is the call in the face of Australia’s appeal.

They decide to review given it’s Pant, but replays and Snicko show the ball has grazed his elbow. Australia have one review left.

India 6-73: Pant 17*, Sundar 4

4.36pm

Stats: Kohli’s decline in an Australian context

As Pant and Sundar briefly halt Australia’s march through the Indian batting order, some number crunching from The Age’s Andrew Wu.

In Virat Kohli’s previous series in Australia - 2011/12, 2014/15, 2018/19 and 2020/21 - he averaged 52.19 when runs came at an average of 34.41 per wicket.

Virat Kohli watches on as Usman Khawaja takes the catch that sends him on his way.Credit: Getty Images

Since India’s last series in Australia, the overall batting average for Tests in this country is 28.71. That’s a drop of about 16.56 per cent.

The point of this is not to play down Kohli’s achievements in Australia, but to highlight how much more difficult batting conditions have become since he last played here.

India 5-72: Pant 17*, Sundar 4*

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