11:09 IST:

The third session was packed with action right from the outset. Nathan Lyon’s introduction into the attack proved fruitful as he struck with his first ball after Tea, dismissing Glenn Phillips. Matt Henry showcased some aggressive batting before falling victim to Lyon.  Australia’s skipper, Cummins, then removed the Kiwi captain, while Lyon claimed his third wicket by dismissing Scott Kuggeleijn, who missed out on a well-deserved fifty. Although the hosts would have hoped for more runs, they set a challenging target of 279 runs for the visitors. Australia’s innings began on a shaky note as Steven Smith struggled from the start and was eventually dismissed by Matt Henry. Daryl Mitchell’s dropped catch of Marnus Labuschagne seemed like a pivotal moment, but Ben Sears swiftly got rid of him in the same over. Tim Southee took a sensational catch in the slips to dismiss Usman Khawaja, while Sears struck again to remove Cameron Green, leaving Australia reeling at 34-4. However, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh showed resilience, steadying the ship and surviving some hostile spells while maintaining a good scoring rate until Stumps.