Indian pacers get three after Smith's 50 as Australian lead stretches to 276 at tea
Brisbane: Steve Smith's attacking half-century took Australia's overall lead to 276 even as India's greenhorn bowlers put their best foot forward during the first two sessions on the fourth day of the final Test here on Monday.
At tea taken an over early because of rain, Australia were 243 for 7, aiming to set a target which India might find enticing enough to chase on a Gabba track which is starting to misbehave slightly with a few cracks opening at one end.
The highest fourth innings chase at the ground is 236 by the West Indies, way back in 1951.
Among Indian pacers, Mohammed Siraj produced a well disguised short ball that grew on Smith (55 off 74 balls) getting him caught at gully. He had earlier produced the ball of the innings to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne (25 off 22 balls) in the first session of the day.
Along with Shardul Thakur (3/41 in 14.1 overs), easily the best Indian bowler in the second innings, Siraj (15-5-42-3) got the wickets but Australians scored at a good rate (3.67), having factored in the inclement weather.
If rain doesn't cause further interruption, Australians have 137 overs across four sessions to enforce a result.
Two engrossing sessions of high quality Test match cricket were on display on Monday with Australian openers David warner (48 off 75 balls) and Marcus Harris (38 off 82 balls) providing a rollicking start.
This was followed by the inexperienced Indian bunch coming back to effect a mini collapse by taking four wickets.
The second session also witnessed fortunes swing as Smith attacked the Indian bowlers, found catches being dropped before three wickets kept the visitors' spirits high.
In the first session, between Warner (6x4) and Harris (8x4), they hit 14 boundaries as Siraj and Thangarasu Natarajan (14-4-41-0) erred in length during the first hour.
Finally, it was a sharp bouncer from Thakur, that ended Harris' entertaining knock. He tried to sway away but the ball brushed his gloves on way to Rishabh Pant behind stumps.
In the very next over, Warner, who was in sight of his first half-century of the series, was rapped on the backfoot by Washington who bowled one that kept straight. The opener ended up being cramped for room on the back-foot while going for the cut-shot.
Labuschagne hit five boundaries and was in no mood to drop the tempo before Siraj bowled the ball of the session.
Having been too short during the first spell, the delivery was on the off-stump and moved a shade before Rohit Sharma took a regulation catch at second slip.
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Kerala Assembly polls: Trends after 9 am show UDF continues to lead
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): As counting of EVM votes polled in the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections commenced, trends after 9 am show the Congress-led UDF leading in the state.
The UDF was ahead in close to 90 seats, while the CPI(M)-led LDF was leading in over 40 seats with the BJP-headed NDA in the front in around 5 assembly constituencies as EVM votes began to be counted, according to news reports.
As per Election Commission figures, Congress is ahead in 10 seats, CPI(M) in 5, CPI in 2, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) 2 and IUML, RJD and Kerala Congress (KEC) with one each, among others.
The trends appear to support the UDF claim that it would get a huge majority. PTI
If the situation continues, the UDF stand to claim power in the state.
