India vs Australia, 3rd Test, Day 4: Ashwin traps Steve Smith in front for 81, hosts 5 down but lead swells

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Sydney, Jan 10: It was another dominating session for Australia as they reached 182/4 at lunch on day four and had a healthy lead of 276 against India. Steve Smith is batting at 58* while Cameron Green is unbeaten at 20 and stitched a partnership of 34 runs for the fifth wicket.

Starting the day's play in the morning session, the Aussies started from 103/2 with Marnus Labuschagne (49*) and Smith batting on 29. Labuschagne - who was dropped at short-leg by Hanuma Vihari on the second ball of the day's play, off Bumrah - went on to notch up his second fifty of the match.

Labuschagne was finally dismissed for 73 off Navdeep Saini but the credit for this dismissal went to substitute wicketkeeper, Wriddhiman Saha. Saha dived towards his left and took a splendid catch to end a special innings.

Saini got the tourists the second wicket of the day when he dismissed Matthew Wade for 4. This time again, it was Saha who took the catch but it was an easy catch for the glovesman.

In the meantime, Smith - the centurion from the first innings - looked at ease as the tourists started bowling the defensive line. The right-handed batting maestro went on slamming his half-century and denied the Indians any chance of a comeback. Smith - who was not in fine touch before the start of the game - proved why he's regarded as one of the best in the business as he kept doing what he loves to do i.e. bat and bat and bat.

Smith was brilliantly supported by Cameron Green (20*) at the other end as the duo forged an unbeaten 34-run stand off 90 deliveries to frustrate the visitors. In 35 overs India bowled, the Aussies scored just 79 runs which was a little more than 2 runs per over.

Australia would be looking to extend the lead past 350 before declaring their second innings and invite and tired Indian side to bat in the fourth innings. With Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja unlikely to bat in the second innings, Tim Paine and his band would look to get those eight wickets in the remaining four sessions.