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Australia 101-5 after India rip through top order in final Test / Photo: © AFP
Australia 101-5 after India rip through top order in final Test
India tore through Australia's top order on day two of the decisive fifth and final Test on Saturday in Sydney with Steve Smith falling agonisingly short of joining an elite group with 10,000 runs.
At lunch the hosts had been reduced to 101-5 with debutant Beau Webster not-out 28 and Alex Carey on four, still 84 runs behind after India were dismissed for 185.
Australia lost Sam Konstas (23), Marnus Labuschagne (two), Travis Head (four) and Smith (33) in the session during fiery spells from Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.
Smith looked poised to become only the 15th batsman ever and fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
But he will have to wait for another day after Prasidh Krishna enticed an edge just before the break and KL Rahul took the catch in the slips.
Australia resumed at 9-1 after a dramatic final-ball wicket on Friday when Bumrah -- captaining the side after Rohit Sharma was axed -- had Usman Khawaja caught in the slips.
That Australian body blow came two balls after Bumrah and Konstas had a tense exchange, with the pace spearhead staring down the teenager after the dismissal.
The 19-year-old Konstas padded up again on seven with new partner Labuschagne and got off the mark with two off the first ball from Siraj.
But Labuschagne didn't last with a menacing Bumrah again the destroyer, enticing the faintest outside edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
A fearless Konstas slammed his nemesis Bumrah to the boundary to signal an attacking intent, then produced an audacious reverse ramp shot for another four.
But the teenager overplayed his hand and fell for 23 to a Siraj outswinger, attempting a drive that flew to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully.
Head hit a four but Siraj pounced again in the same over with another gem of a delivery that took an edge to Rahul at slip, leaving Australia tottering at 39-4.
The steady Smith and Webster, in the team for the dropped Mitchell Marsh, set about rebuilding the innings before Prasidh dealt the hosts another setback when he removed the veteran five minutes before lunch.
Australia will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw. India retain it with a win.
S. dos Reis--JDB
