'King and Prince': Jaiswal, Kohli tons put India on top

PTI Perth: Virat Kohli brought all his technical expertise into play while dealing with vagaries of variable bounce during his 30th hundred after heir apparent Yashasvi Jaiswal's classy 161 put India in sight of a remarkable Test victory against a nervous and fumbling Australia here on Sunday. The Indians dominated the third day to first set an improbable 534-run target for the hosts before reducing them to 12/3 at close of play. Once Kohli reached an unprecedented seventh Test century Down Under, Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah declared at 487 for 6 with five overs to go flat out.

The skipper then immediately disposed off debutant Nathan McSweeney (0) and Marnus Labuschagne (3), both of whom got balls that kept perilously low. The nervousness was palpable when rival captain Pat Cummins walked in as the night-watchman and the decision proved to be a not so wise one. The match would be memorable for many reasons and one of them would be the exhibition of top quality batsmanship by the 'King' and 'Prince' of current India batting but in contrasting conditions and different match situations. Jaiswal built a fascinating structure with care and Kohli (100 not out, 143 balls) polished it and put a beautiful coat of paint while throwing caution to the wind while reaching the landmark.

The 22-year-old Jaiswal, on Sunday, emerged as the unofficial flag-bearer of Indian batting for the next decade and a half during his 297-ball stay at the wicket, giving a glimpse of his ever-improving technique and composed temperament. But it was veteran Kohli, who showed how to play on a wicket that consistently misbehaved during his second hundred at the Perth Stadium and 30th overall, which incidentally took him past Sir Don Bradman's 29 Test tons. There were deliveries that simply didn't bounce.

One from Mitchell Starc was upper cut for six over backward point while the shot of the day was an on drive off Cummins. When Nathan Lyon started turning the ball square, he either got a big stride forward or brought the sweep shot, which he doesn't play often, out of his closet. His hundred, in fact, came off a sweep.

Jaiswal 'arrives' in Australia

Exactly 32 years ago, 17-year-old Sachin Tendulkar became a global phenomenon with a hundred for the ages at the old WACA ground on a track that had those snake-like cracks and in the last two days, Jaiswal has shown the entire world that he is here to be the torch-bearer of Indian batting for the next decade and a half.

He became the second youngest Indian batter after Sachin Tendulkar to score a hundred at Perth. Jaiswal completed his fourth Test hundred and first in a SENA country with a beautifully executed ramp shot off a bouncer bowled by Josh Hazlewood.