Steve Smith’s quest for 10,000 Test runs falls one short, while Scott Boland’s love of the SCG grows with a 10-fa.

Here are the quick hits from day three of the fifth Test between Australia and India.

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1. Boland’s perfect 10

Scott Boland has bowled some of the most outlandish spells in recent Test history, but had not taken a five-wicket haul in an innings since his famed 6-7 in four overs on debut at the MCG in the 2021/22 Ashes.

He arrived at the SCG on day three on a pitch tailor-made for his bowling style with four second-innings scalps already to his name and four Indian wickets still available.

Captain Pat Cummins threatened to rob Boland of his moment when he removed Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.

But Boland steamed in and nicked off Mohammed Siraj to complete his second five-wicket haul and ended India’s inning by clean bowling Jasprit Bumrah to take 10 wickets in a Test match for the first time.

2. Not hanging around

Any target over 140 was going to be a challenge on this year’s SCG pitch, so 162 felt more like 262 when Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja walked out an hour before lunch.

Without the injured Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj took the new ball and sprayed his third ball down leg for five wides to start the scoring. Khawaja clattered a pull shot into the deep and Konstas launched him over mid-off as the first over cost 13 runs.

The openers continued slapping the ball to all parts of the ground and were going at just under 12 an over at 0-35 after three, aided by some woeful bowling from Siraj and Prasidh Krishna that gifted Australia 12 runs off sundries.

“The bowling’s been pretty ordinary … India are being very generous,” India great Sunil Gavaskar said on ABC Sport.

The wicket of Konstas, with Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith following soon after, stopped the rot but it was far from an ideal start for the tourists.

3. Steve Smith falls short again

At the start of the SCG Test, Steve Smith needed just 38 to become the fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs.

He fell agonisingly short with 33 in the first innings, but that was nothing compared to the second.

Coming in with the pressure bearing down on him at 2-52, Smith needed to make 5 for quintuple figures.

He got off the mark with two off his pads, guided two more behind point, but then Prasidh Krishna got a ball to rise sharply off the deck and Smith could only fend it to gully.

Stranded on 9,999 runs after the final innings of the series, the 35-year-old will surely become the 15th man to reach 10,000 with his first run during Australia’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in January and February.

4. Siraj reaches his own personal milestone

While the eyes of the cricketing world were squarely on Steve Smith, India paceman Mohammed Siraj was chasing his own milestone in the fourth innings.

Without Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj needed to rise to the occasion to win the match for his country and tie the series.

To add to the pressure, he began the innings with 99 Test wickets.

The innings started poorly for the firebrand but his 100th Test wicket came in his 10th over, when Usman Khawaja got an edge playing a pull shot, caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

It was a massive wicket at an important time for India. Khawaja was playing well but had his knock ended at 41.

Siraj, like his teammates, was pumped up as they tried to manufacture six more wickets to win the Test.

Even with the tension of a series-defining Test coming down to the wire, hopefully Siraj was able to take a moment to appreciate his achievement. 

5. Beau hits the winning runs

Beau Webster’s entry into Test cricket was sensational.

The Tasmanian took two sharp slips catches on day one, then top-scored in Australia’s first innings with a maiden half-century, and secured his first Test wicket when he dismissed India’s number three Shubman Gill.

With the series on the line on day three, Webster marched out to the wicket with Australia still needing 58 more runs to win the Test and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

Just like he did on day two, Webster batted like he was a veteran of 50 matches.

He defended confidently and put away bad balls. In the blink of an eye, and without looking like he was attacking, he was unbeaten with 39 off 34 balls.

He had the honour of scoring the winning runs, marching down the wicket and hitting Washington Sundar over mid-off for a boundary.

The 31-year-old punched the air with delight and roared like a lion, savouring a moment he probably thought may never have come after years of toil in the Sheffield Shield.