Pat Cummins made his way to 61 not out, his highest Test score coming on the same day when he picked up his best Test figures of six for 27 in India's second innings
Australia's Pat Cummins is congratulated by Nathan Lyon (left) after his half century on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images
A four-day finish loomed large when Australia lost their eighth wicket with nearly 15 overs still left on Saturday, but Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon temporarily stymied India's victory march in the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with a stirring ninth-wicket partnership.
Cummins made his way to 61 not out, his highest Test score coming on the same day when he picked up his best Test figures of six for 27 in India's second innings. Lyon kept him company on a sedate six off 38 deliveries in a stand already worth 43, and promised that the remaining two wickets would try and take the game as deep as possible today.
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"Our backs are up against the wall," conceded the star off-spinner, adding, "but Pat and I and Josh [Hazlewood, the last man], we are going to fight. We have got to show a lot of pride and fight our backsides off and show how much it means wearing the Baggy Green cap. Pat and myself and Josh will come and definitely do that tomorrow."
Set an MCG record 399 for victory, Australia ended the day on 258 for eight, still needing 141 to pull off the most miraculous win. "We are going to come out tomorrow and we are going to try and win the first ball and the first over and show a lot of fight and have a lot of pride in going out there to bat for Australia," Lyon insisted. "That's all we can do. I am not going to sit here and say we are going to score 140, Pat's going to score 200 and I am going to score 20. It's a massive honour playing Test match cricket for Australia and we are not going to give this Test match up lightly. We will take it ball by ball and who knows where we can get to."
Lyon also disagreed with suggestions that the top-order had let the Australians down, even though they were shot out for 151 in the first innings and slipped to 135 for five in the second. "I don't really think that's a fair comment, to be honest," he countered. "I see how much hard work the guys are doing in the nets and at training. I know they are working hard, they are not going out there to fail. You've got to remember that we are up against a world-class bowling attack that's one of the best Indian attacks I have ever seen."
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