Pant played an vital 36-run innings and added critical runs with Cheteshwar Pujara. Jadeja, on the other hand, remained not out for 28.
Wriddhiman Saha was maintaining the wickets in the second innings of Australia as Pant went for scans.
Earlier, India was bowled out for 244 just after Cheteshwar Pujara’s slowest half-century helped Australia take full command at tea. Australia took a initial-innings lead of 94 runs and it would be an uphill activity for India to make a comeback in this match.
Pujara’s (50 off 176 balls) ultra-defensive strategy place tremendous stress on his colleagues and India by no means really got the momentum going as Cummins (4/29 in 21.4 overs), Hazlewood (2/43 in 21 overs) and Mitchell Starc (1/61 in 19 overs) constantly attacked the batsmen — initial with a leg-side field and quick-ball tactic and then on the corridor of uncertainty.
Pujara does not play the pull or hook shot effectively and he wasn’t permitted area to either reduce or drive.
While he by no means attempted to rotate strike, the likes of Ajinkya Rahane (22 off 70 balls) and Rishabh Pant (36 off 67 balls) felt the urge to break the shackles in the absence of any such intention from the other finish.