India v Australia, third Test, day one LIVE updates: Steve Smith leads Australia’s bid to restore pride

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Australia to roll with spin trio

The pitch – how will it play?

Twenty-two yards of it, in all its glory. As expected, the grass on the Indore deck has been disposed of at either end and the usual turn-friendly Indian conditions look set to continue and dictate team selections accordingly.

Of course this Indore venue was a late starter in this series after Dharamshala’s pitch preparations were hampered by unseasonable fog. As a result, the most-seam friendly venue on tour has been subbed out for our current digs – where Ravichandran Ashwin, has claimed 18 wickets at 12.50 runs each in his two Tests at the venue, striking every four overs.

But thanks to India’s unassailable lead in the series and the looming World Test Championship at Lords in June, we might get the Indian version of a green mamba yet…

Hello sports fans

Afternoon Richie, afternoon all,

Locked and loaded here in the Maroubra bureau as Australia look to salvage something, anything from this thoroughly non-Indian summer of theirs on the first day of Autumn.

The hosts are up 2-0 thanks to the most spectacular collapse by an Australian side this century, with Steve Smith taking the lead as skipper after Pat Cummins’ return home on personal grounds. Daniel Brettig is our man on the ground in Indor, and we’ll have teams, the toss and a bit more in due time before first ball at approximately 3pm AEDT.

Pop the kettle on, we’ve a Test match in the making.

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