Cricket: Wickets topple at the MCG but India still in control

Virat Kohli is in the box seat. Photo / AP

India claimed a huge first-innings advantage after Australia slumped to 151 all out on the third day of the third cricket test as wickets tumbled all around.

In reply to India's 443-7 declared, Australia went to lunch on 89-4 and failed to conquer a Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch offering variable bounce. Three more wickets fell in the middle session, leading to a final session slump.

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah (3-32) triggered a collapse by taking three of the first five wickets to fall and finished the day with six wickets for 33 runs.

India opted not to enforce the follow on and in the space of 27 eventful overs before stumps had lost five wickets for 54 runs after Pat Cummins ripped through the top order. This left India with a lead of 346.

India took almost two days to score their first innings total of 443, but needed less than two sessions to rip through Australia's top-order batting.

Australia had resumed eight without loss and staggered to 89-4 at lunch. Aaron Finch (eight), Marcus Harris (22), Usman Khawaja (21) and Shaun Marsh (19) all departed cheaply.

Pace bowler Ishant Sharma removed Finch caught at short leg. Harris fell three overs later, caught at fine leg off Bumrah's bowling after the batsman top-edged a pull shot.

Khawaja was also caught at short leg, as spinner Ravindra Jadeja made a breakthrough. In a tense final over before lunch, Shaun Marsh was out leg-before wicket to Bumrah.

Bumrah claimed a third victim when he bowled Travis Head (20) at 92-5. The exit of struggling all-rounder Mitch Marsh (nine), caught at slip off Jadeja's bowling after the spinner found footmarks outside leg stump, exposed Australia's tail.

- AP