Adelaide :Australia took firm control of the day-night third test today when they reduced South Africa to 194 for six at the close on day three, only 70 runs ahead of their hosts.Desperate for a consolation victory to avoid a first 3-0 series sweep on home soil, Australia's tail boosted their first- innings tally to 383 before the bowlers took over.
Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla departed before tea and JP Duminy, captain Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and Kyle Abbott followed under the lights in the night session.Opener Stephen Cook was the one top-order batsman left standing after hitting 81 off 199 balls and will return to the crease on day four with Quinton de Kock, who had yet to score.
Paceman Mitchell Starc, who earlier completed his seventh test half century, removed Elgar for a duck with the fifth ball of the innings before taking the key wicket of Du Plessis for 12 courtesy of a brilliant catch by Peter Handscomb.The home side celebrated with the debutant as if they had won the match, an indication of the importance they placed on the wicket of Du Plessis, who contributed an unbeaten 118 to South Africa's first innings 259-9 declared.
Amla has been a less influential figure on this tour and, having been dropped on 13, lost his wicket to Josh Hazlewood for the fifth time in the series when he nicked behind for 45.
Australia had resumed on 307-6 after enjoying their best day of batting in the series yesterday.
Usman Khawaja's match-changing innings ended when he was trapped lbw by Vernon Philander for 145 while Starc was caught and bowled by Kagiso Rabada for 53 to trigger the end of the innings.
After the string of batting collapses that contributed to humiliating defeats in Perth and Hobart, however, the hosts will have been pleased that their last four wickets were worth 100 runs.
Following Elgar's early departure off an outside edge, which Australia skipper Steve Smith took with a fine low catch in the cordon, Cook was even more circumspect as partners came and went at the other end.
The 33-year-old took 117 balls to reach his second test half century and was 19 runs away from his second test hundred at the close of play.Duminy (26) took the tourists past Australia's tally with two runs to third man but lost patience at the pace of scoring and tried to play across a Nathan Lyon delivery only to miss the ball completely and watch it take out his off-stump.
Bavuma made 21 before giving Lyon his second wicket shortly before stumps, the batsman attempting a sweep but getting an edge which looped off his arm for Smith to catch.
Lyon was getting serious turn by now and still had time to remove nightwatchman Abbott lbw for a duck to give the off-spinner figures of 3-48 and pin the South Africans firmly to the ropes.
Mohali Test: Defiant Bairstow rescues England to 268 for 8
A defiant knock of 89 by wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and his four valuable partnerships with Mooen Ali (16) Ben Stokes (29), Buttler (43) and Chris Woakes (25) helped England recover to 268 for 8 in 90 overs from 87-4 at close of play on Day 1 in the third Test against India at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium here today.
India had a satisfying day having claimed four wickets in the first session (92 for 4 in 29 overs at lunch), one in the second session (205 for 5 in 62 overs at tea) and three in the last session (268 for 8).
Umesh Yadav (2 for 58), Jayant Yadav (2 for 49) and Ravindra Jadeja (2 for 56) took two wickets each for India.Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin got one wicket each from 52 and 43 runs, respectively.
Recalled in place of injured Wriddhiraman Saha, wicketkeeper Partiv Patel caught England opener and captain Cook (27) of the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin (1 for 43) and stumped Ben Stokes of the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja.Coming at number 5, Bairstow first produced 36 runs for fourth wicket stand with Mooen Ali.This pair posted 87 for 4 after England losing three wickets for 51 runs in 15.1 overs.
Hamilton Test: Kiwis all over Pakistan on second day
Misbah and co continued their lean patch in the ongoing test series against New zealand after receiving an 8 wicket defeat in the first test. Continuing from 77-2 on a rain interrupted day , kiwi batsmen were given couple of life lines on the second day as well. The opener Jeet Raval made most of it and scored a half century, with the help of a handy innings of BJ watling NZ were all out for 271.
Pakistan feeble batting against the seam bowling was exposed again. The visitors witnessed yet another top batting order collapse third time on the trot in this series. Babar Azam was playing on the score of 34 when the day was called off. Pakistan are 76 for 5 wickets down on the end of day 2 and Misbah ul Haq is not available to bat. This adds more salt to their injuries.(UNI)