Such has been the excitement, emotion and spite of the first two cricket Tests against India that only a landmark performance will befit the third match that begins on Thursday (Sydney time).
![India's captain Virat Kohli will face off against Australian skipper Steve Smith.](/web/20170327230950im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/f/i/k/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guyavb.png/1489580339643.jpg)
May we suggest a 502-minute Dean Jonesesque double century by 20-year-old Australian opener Matthew Renshaw on yet another dud wicket amid the heat and suspect breakfasts of Ranchi?
Such a gargantuan effort with the bat should lead, if the gods were just, to a fitting end to the match as well.
May we proffer a Greg Matthewsesque final over from Australian left-arm orthodox spinner Steve O'Keefe in which the gallant Indians fall just short?
Victory in Ranchi would deliver the Australians their first Test series win on Indian soil since 2004-05.
But what if the Ranchi Test ended in a tie?
Jones' effort helped Australia tie the first Test in 1986 – only the second tie on record. A historic third tied Test this week – or even a well-fought draw – would set up the series for a decider on March 25 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, the home of the exiled Dalai Lama of Tibet.
That match will be the first Test at the ground, which is 1457 metres above sea level. At 10 metres higher than Thredbo Village in the Snowy Mountains, HCPA Stadium is the highest – and many would say the holiest – Test ground.
In the meantime we can expect the Ranchi Test to scale similar heights to those reached during the first two matches – occasionally with a touch of luck, often with great skill and always on suspect pitches.
That the Australian squad has played the spin and withstood the guile of the Indian pace attack on the subcontinent is a credit to the coaching of Darren Lehmann and the captaincy of Steve Smith. So is the performance of O'Keefe and right-hand offspinner Nathan Lyon to match the tweakers from India.
But the third Test is as much about posturing as playing. That means another face-off between Smith – statistically still the world's best batsman – and his fiery Indian counterpart Virat Kohli – notably down from second at the start of the series to No.4 Test batsman in the world.
Smith and Kohli were due to meet with match referee and former West Indies great Richie Richardson on Wednesday to agree to disagree on being nice to each other.
While Australians have long been considered master sledgers, Kohli is rising quickly, partly through his dedication to Indian victory.
But his discipline has been found wanting at times during this series.
Kohli is under pressure because his leadership role is akin to heading the monarchy, his batting has struggled and his team is on the verge on losing the unloseable Test series.
Kohli's confected outrage after Smith looked towards the stands during appeal deliberations in Bangalore revealed a man who knows what is at stake. His behaviour drew overegged disgust from Indians and an understandable backlash from Australians. Smith stuffed up, sure, but to suggest a chronic culture of cheating is going too far. What's more, the Kohli-Smith row was inevitable when the wicket review system is so flawed. It needs to be fixed to protect umpires or, worse, the game becomes a laughing stock.
Speaking of which, the International Cricket Council needs to stop the doctoring of pitches on the subcontinent and beyond. While cracks and dust make for great spin, they also make for quick games. The first Test pitch in Pune was rated "poor" by international officials. The game lasted barely three days. The pitch for the second Test in Bangalore scored a "below standard". That game ended within four days.
In Ranchi the curator prepared three potential strips but the Indian cricket board chose one that was all dirt, cracks and right up the alley of the home team's spinners – if not its batsman skipper. At least there are signs that the international cricket body will begin to name and shame curators of doctored pitches. Perhaps the people who instruct the curators could be held to account as well.
In the meantime, may the best team win in Ranchi, even if it is on the worst pitch.