Another delivery outside off stump. Starc leaves it alone.

And another.

There are two slips and a gully in place, but it’s such an orthodox defensive field to Mitch Starc, with people who is hardly Don Bradman.

Washington Sundar has been told to loosen up, so perhaps a spinner will do the trick – or at least be asked to.

Solid defence from Starc once again.

Starc clips off his pads and gets a single to square leg.

Hazlewood ducks under a bouncer.

Starc drives into the covers but there is no run there.

This game is in a holding pattern at the moment. India’s best two bowlers out of the rotation, Australia eeking out runs at about one per over to frustrate and annoy.

Starc fends to deep backward cover and looks for a single but they decide against it. There are some sounds of consternation from the crowd, perhaps desperate for Australia to bring up the 100.

They’re on 9-99 at the moment, but now it’s 9-100 and there is a big cheer as Starc clips the ball away to square leg.

BEATEN! Oh my that was close. That ball misses the outside edge by a whisker and the off stump by even less than that. Very hard on Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Now Hazlewood jabs his bat at the ball, sending it out to backward point for no run.

I’d have thought that India would have been a bit more proactive in the field than they have been. It’s been a passive morning.

That being said, plenty of time for them.

Nicely driven by Starc on the up, but not timed and it’s out to cover.

That’s another nice, compact shot into the covers from Starc on the up, but he doesn’t look at all interested in taking a run.

Another nicely played drive – Starc, as Australia’s top scorer and possessor of the longest innings by balls in this Test match so far – is seeing the ball quite nicely.

The field is back, and stays back as Starc defends another.

Now some aggression from Starc, pulling hard to square leg – doesn’t get all of it and just takes a single.

Hazlewood has one ball to survive and that’s a really good bouncer – Hazlewood leans back and just avoids getting struck.

Lovely punch down the ground, Hazlewood waits. Waits. Waits. And then takes a run after the ball rolls into the vacant space behind mid on.

Starc on strike, he swings and misses to a wide one. Starc needs to be careful he doesn’t give his wicket away here.

Solid defence there from Starc.

Starc has a swing with an angled bat to cover point, but there is a hearts in the mouths moment as the ball flies perilously close to the fielder, but it falls safe.

Quick single – very quick! Starc dropping the ball to short cover and he just gets there before Jurel can get the ball out of his hand.

Sunil Gavaskar is talking on ABC Radio about the importance of this partnership for Australia.

“I feel like India relaxed a bit after the last wicket and are running short of ideas,” he says.

“It’s not the number of runs that is the concern, it is the nuisance value of this partnership.

“That is not good for the opening batters because mentally you start to bat when the eighth wicket falls.

“Mentally you’re getting ready and then suddenly you go out to bat and you’re a little extra tired.”

A bouncer first up that Starc gets under.

Starc defends the next.

Swing and a miss from Starc who, has 21 runs, is Australia’s equal top scorer.

Starc defends another.

GOT HIM! Starc ducks into a bouncer, and gets hit on the shoulder. That will sting a bit.

Another sharp short ball from Siraj has Starc flinching. No runs off that over.

India has only used three bowlers so far in their bowling innings, But this persistent partnership has forced  Jasprit Bumrah into deploying a fourth, and it’s a maiden bowl in Test cricket for Nitish Kumar Reddy.

First ball is outside off, a fluid, orthodox action from the debutant, 127kph the speed.

Starc defends the next and Reddy raises a cheer as he falls in his delivery stride, but still fields Starc’s straight push.

Starc ill-advisedly has a swing at a wide one, but misses.

That’s a lovely shot, but fielded straight bu the bowler.

STARC HAS A SWING! The ball falls safe and they run a single.

Hazlewood defends solidly as Reddy, around the wicket, angles the ball towards his stumps.

Competent enough first over for the debutant.

A schoolboy error.

I am limited in available GIFs, in my defence.

Change of bowler, it’s time for Mohammed Siraj, who replaces his skipper.

This partnership, worth 15 runs and 41 balls long, is now Australia’s longest of the innings.

Starc is still not happy with his new helmet, so inspects it a bit.

Solid defence from Mitch Starc against the fiery quick.

Again, a solid defensive stroke from Mitch Starc, that puts some of what we’ve seen from the specialists batters to shame.

Siraj continues steaming in over the wicket, angling the ball across the left-handed Starc, who defends again into the off side.

Starc has a swing now, the ball squirts out to midwicket and he gets a single.

Lovely stroke through the covers by Josh Hazlewood, certainly a single there at least, if not a hard-run two, but Hazlewood says he doesn’t want it. Odd decision.

Solid defence ends the over.

Around the wicket, he steams in and Starc, cleared of concussion, pushes a single.

Hazlewood now helps a leg-side delivery around the corner to fine leg, but they turn down the run.

Hazlewood defends the last and keeps Starc on strike.

You’re absolutely right, LW.

It’s of huge importance that this innings drags out as long as the Aussies can make it.

If nothing else, it keeps India out in the middle, putting at least a little bit more mileage into the legs of the bowlers – India has still only used three bowlers in their admittedly short 40-over innings thus far.

If the lead India takes gets under 50, that will be huge.

In a low scoring match, every run is crucial.

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Hi Mike.

Starc is farming the strike at the end of overs.

Ouch! He’s ducked straight into one and he’s worn that right on the helmet. Luckily he turned his head at the last moment to turn it into more of a glancing blow.

Nice to see Harshit Rana go to check on his IPL teammate.

And that will be drinks.

Yes, Starcy! An enormous slog through the line sails through to Rishabh Pant. That’s got to be the plan.

And then he’s back into his shell the next ball, trying to nudge a ball around the corner, which is odd considering he’s not taking the single anyway.

Oh cool, now an unplayable, off-cutting slower ball jumps up into the left thumb of Starc. Looks like it hurt a bit, and will just keep him honest if he plans to tee off again.

Driven hard and flat to mid-off. Another potential single denied.

Boom! Starc gets a full one and absolutely tees off, clattering it over mid-wicket for a bouncing four. I don’t think Rana will pitch too many more there.

Although, I reckon this will be his last over anyway.

Starc clips fine off his pads, and this time takes the single.

Mitchell Starc is facing the Indian skipper.

Short and hooked by Starc. But he’s very slow out of the gates and he’s almost run out as he scurries through for a single.

DROPPED! Hazlewood gets a healthy nick and Rishabh Pant is moving down the leg side and has to readjust, diving away to his left. And he hasn’t even got to it, actually.

That’s a really bad miss from him. And Virat Kohli was moving away from it too.

That denies Bumrah his best-ever figures, and moves Australia past its lowest Test total against India.

Oh, he almost gets Josh Hazlewood, but just misses the stumps of the left-hander as he backs away.

Slower ball! An interesting choice to the defensive number 11. And Hazlewood manages to nudge it to the leg side for a single to get off strike.

Starc tries to clip down leg and Rishabh Pant dives well to stop the ball racing away to the rope, but can’t deny them a single.

Every run is precious now. Not sure Starc should be farming the strike.

Rana comes over the wicket to bowl across Hazlewood, who just hangs his bat out at one and is lucky not to nick off.

He’s got 5-23. His best Test figures are 6-27 from the West Indies in 2019.

Can he top that here?

Starc clips one off his hip and denies the single so Bumrah can’t get Hazlewood in his sights.

Oh, he wanted the wicket straight away and fired in the yorker, but Starc digs it out.

A big swing and miss by some distance from Starc and Virat Kohli goes up like he’s just won the World Cup. He’s charging from second slip, but everyone else, quite rightly, waves him off. That was nowhere near the bat.

Rana bangs in the short ball at Lyon’s chest and it follows him as he tries to back away, but the best he can do is glove it up and straight to the slips.

That was a very well directed short ball and it completely cramped him and he couldn’t get out of the way.

Harshit Rana has a bit about him.

And here comes number 11 Josh Hazlewood, who barely makes it through the rest of the over.