Despite getting four wickets before lunch, India failed to dismiss Australia.
The last-ditch effort by India’s bowlers to force an outright win did not bear fruit as the fifth wicket Australian pair of Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb put their heads down and did not budge from their places. The two continued to rise to the occasion after joining hands together less than half an hour before lunch to take Australia to an honourable draw in the third Test here on Monday.
India, having taken two wickets in the first session including that of Steve Smith, failed to see the back of either of another Australian until the fifth of the mandatory 15 overs in the last hour of the match. Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Shaun Marsh to a catch at forward short-leg by Murali Vijay but by then the game was heading towards only one direction – draw.
Australia finished at 204/6 in their second innings, a lead of 52, before the offer for a draw by Virat Kohli was accepted by the Aussies with two overs remaining in the match. Resuming after tea at three runs adrift, Australia wiped out the 152-run deficit and took the lead when Marsh flicked Umesh Yadav to backward square leg boundary. Soon afterwards, Handscomb reached his third Test fifty in his seventh Test when he glanced Yadav to fine leg for a four.
Handscomb came into India with the reputation of averaging 99.75 in his first four Tests in which he scored two centuries and two fifties. The 25-year-old from Victoria was at the centre of the DRSgate in the previous Test in Bengaluru when he unknowingly asked his captain Steve Smith to seek help from the dressing room. Having had starts in the five innings prior to this, Handscomb showed what he was capable of playing.
On testing conditions, he blocked, bringing his front foot well forward while at other times putting away the loose ones. Smith expected him to come good here when he said prior to the start of the Test: “He is enjoying being here in India. He looked pretty good without going on to make a score for us. I know he is really keen to score some big runs. He has had some big plans for us. His execution has probably been a bit off. He understands that. He looked quite comfortable in the time he has been out in the middle. Hopefully we can see some good score from Pete in this.”
And, what a crucial time for Handscomb to come good. In the company of the senior batsman, Marsh, he helped his team save a Test with superb application. The two shared 125 for the fifth wicket, the stand was worth much more than that, as they batted for more than four-and-a-half hours and used more than two-thirds of the day’s quota of 90 overs.
Handscomb returned unconquered for 72, his third Test fifty, after batting for four hours and 21 minutes while Marsh was out for 53, his sixth fifty-plus score in Tests to go with his four centuries. Marsh’s nearly four hours stay in the crease ended when his forward defence off Jadeja went straight into Murali Vijay’s hands at forward short-leg. Vijay was the catcher again at silly point to pouch a Glenn Maxwell bat-pad off Ashwin three overs later but by then, the match was entering its final moments, with only seven remaining in the match.
Jadeja finished with match figures of 9/178 and Ashwin, 2/185.
Brief scores: End of Test: Australia 451 & 204/6 (P Handscomb 72*, M Wade 9*; R Jadeja 4/54, R Ashwin 1/71) drew with India 603/9 dec.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Australia's Handscomb-Marsh hold India to keep series alive at 1-1")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}