07:03

All sport is peculiar on some level, but cricket is more peculiar than most, a reality borne out during an incredible day’s play in Melbourne. Following two days of ponderous action on a lifeless surface the Boxing Day Test exploded into life with 15 wickets falling in three madcap sessions.

Jasprit Bumrah was the star of the first two, obliterating Australia’s first innings with figures of 6/33. Within that there were a couple of scorching deliveries (if you haven’t seen his slower ball to Shaun Marsh yet you must rectify that immediately) but in the main he profited from another display of poor quality Australian batting. Nobody in a green helmet passed 22 despite little appreciable difference in the pitch.

A lead of 289 runs was not enough to convince Virat Kohli to enforce the follow on early in the final session, and at 28-0 in India’s second innings his side were gambolling away without a care in the world. But then out of nowhere five wickets fell in a flash, four to Pat Cummins, three of them catches behind square on the leg-side, two of them - Che Pujara and Kohli - in near identical fashion in the same over. It was chaotic and compelling.

While this dead cat bounce lifted spirits in Bay 13 it is unlikely to have any impact on the overall result. India will be bowled out or declare at some point tomorrow, leaving them at least a day to take ten Australian wickets, or find themselves on the receiving end of a record run-chase, which seems unlikely given the evidence of today.

Find out what happens right here with Adam, Geoff and I. Until then, thanks for your company.