Cheteshwar Pujara’s resilient half-century did not have a pronounced effect on proceedings in the third Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 Test, as India are standing on the verge of a defeat here in Indore’s Holkar Cricket Stadium, courtesy of Nathan Lyon's eight-wicket haul.
After bowling the visitors out for 197, Rohit Sharma’s team could only reply with a score of 163, which sees Australia needing to score only 76 runs on Day 3 to make the series scoreline 2-1.
The opening partnership of Shubman Gill and skipper Sharma lasted all but five overs, before Nathan Lyon’s dipping delivery dismantled the stumps of the former.
Alongside former captain, Virat Kohli, Sharma added 17 runs for the second-wicket stand before he too fell prey to Lyon’s off-spin.
While quite a few Indian batters managed to tackle the immediate threats and get decent starts, none barring Pujara could capitalise on those to hold the fort for the hosts. Kohli played a 13-run knock before losing his wicket to the baggy greens’ first innings' star, Matthew Kuhnemann. In an attempt to play the back-foot pull, he ended up misjudging the turn as the ball crashed onto his pads, trapping him leg before wicket.
India vs Australia, 3rd Test: Matthew Kuhnemann got the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli.
(Photo: BCCI)
Ravindra Jadeja, in what was a deviation from his usual mode of operation, tried to be at his defensive best more than anything else, but it was not particularly beneficial as his 36-ball stay at the crease yielded all but seven runs. In his 11th over, Lyon added the third scalp to his tally by dismissing the all-rounder from Saurashtra.
Nathan Lyon Catapult Australia Towards Maiden BGT 2023 Triumph
Having seen the defensive approach not producing desired results, Shreyas Iyer opted to counter-attack and it proved to be a just decision. His knock lasted only 27 deliveries, but yielded 26 important runs with the help of three boundaries and a couple of sixes. The batter could consider himself unlucky not to have had an extended stay, for it took an exceptional catch by Usman Khawaja to send him back to the pavilion.
Playing only the third Test match of his career, wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat could not offer much of a fight against Steve Smith’s spinners, as in only the eighth delivery that he faced, Lyon managed to breach his defence and knock the stumps over.
Having previously scalped a three-wicket haul with the ball, it was then Ravichandran Ashwin’s turn to do a job and a half with the bat, and whilst his 28-ball 16-run knock deserves praise on a track that suits his bowling more than his batting, the Aussies had firmly established their dominance by then.
India vs Australia, 3rd Test: Cheteshwar Pujara played a valiant knock of 59 runs.
(Photo: BCCI)
Lyon trapped the off-spinner leg before wicket to complete a well-deserved five-wicket haul, but he did not call it a day at that point and returned to add three more names on his list of wickets, in Cheteshwar Pujara, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.
Pujara justified his ‘crisis manager’ tag by playing a knock of 59 runs, while the speedster pairing of Yadav and Siraj could not contribute any runs to their team’s cause as India were bowled out for a meagre score yet again – this time scoring 163 runs.
Yadav, Ashwin Helped India Restrict Visitors Under 200
Earlier in the day, Australia managed to accumulate 197 runs in their first innings, which helped the baggy greens secure an 88-run lead. Peter Handscomb and Cameron Green did an effective job in negotiating with the morning threat, with the duo adding 40 runs for the sixth-wicket stand.
India vs Australia, 3rd Test: Umesh Yadav picked up a three-wicket haul earlier in the day.
(Photo: BCCI)
However, the visitors then lost six wickets in just 24 deliveries, with Ashwin and Yadav spinning webs around their batters. Both scalped three wickets apiece to help India restrict the Aussies to a score of under 200.
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