Dinner India 359 for 7 (Deepti 58*) vs Australia

The lights had just begun taking effect when half-centurion Deepti Sharma stepped on the gas with a powerfully cover-driven four in a seven-run over off Sophie Molineux in what largely was a sluggish opening session for India on day three of the pink-ball Test. Australia picked up only two wickets before dinner, the second of those Ellyse Perry's 300th international strike, but two dropped chances meant India could accumulate 83 runs to take their tally to 359 for 7, the highest by any visiting side against them in the format.

Signs of urgency, or the intent to force a result in the four-day game, despite holding the scoreboard edge were few and far between in India's approach early in the 40.4 overs bowled out of the day's allotment of 108 overs. Sharma, who made a 163-ball 58*, put on 45 with Taniya Bhatia, building on India's overnight 276 for 5. But a scoring rate of under one for vast stretches of the innings saw them record a run rate of just 2.05 so far on the day, the lowest across the three days.

Before Perry removed Pooja Vastrakar for 13 at the stroke of session break, becoming the first woman with the double of 5000 runs and 300 wickets in international cricket, Stella Campbell offered the reverie-snapping breakthough, with her second ball of the day. The tall debutant's nagging fourth-stump line, helped by healthy bounce and carry off the drop-in surface, forced Taniya to prod at the outswinger only for wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy to gobble up it up to give the 19-year old her maiden Test wicket.

More to follow...