Mon Nov 25 03:20:00 UTC 2024: ## Kohli Century and Bumrah’s Late Strikes Leave Australia Facing Mountainous Chase in Perth
**Perth, Australia** – Virat Kohli’s masterful unbeaten century and a late flurry of wickets from Jasprit Bumrah have left Australia facing a daunting task on day three of the first Test against India. India declared their second innings at 487/6, setting Australia a target of 522 runs to win – a monumental chase considering the challenging pitch and the remaining two days of play.
Yashasvi Jaiswal laid the foundation for India’s dominance with a superb 161, combining with KL Rahul for a record-breaking 201-run opening partnership. Kohli then followed up with his seventh Test century in Australia, a composed and stylish 100* off 143 balls, ending a recent lean spell.
The day’s play ended on a high for India as Bumrah, in his role as stand-in captain, dismissed three Australian batsmen in a devastating late spell. Nathan McSweeney, Pat Cummins, and Marnus Labuschagne all fell victim to the paceman, leaving Australia reeling at 12/3 at stumps.
Australia now face a monumental task to either bat out for a draw or chase down a record-breaking total to win. The highest successful fourth-innings chase to win a Test match is 418-7, achieved by the West Indies against Australia in 2003. With the pitch offering considerable assistance to the bowlers, India appear firmly in control of the match. While there’s a theoretical possibility of an Australian comeback, India are strongly favored to win the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
First Piper 