The Indian team at stumps of Day 3 of the ongoing first Test at Adelaide had Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane on 40 and one respectively. India ended the day after scoring 151 with the loss of three wickets and had earned a lead of 166 runs by then.
India were bundled out for 307 and set a stiff target of 323 for the Australians on the fourth day of the first Test on Sunday at the Adelaide Oval.
India vs Australia, 1st Test: Full commentary & scorecard
When the Aussies began their chase of 323, their opener Aaron Finch survived a loud leg before appeal on zero off Ishant Sharma's second ball of the second innings. He went for DRS review and the decision was turned because it was a no ball.
Ashwin, however, nabbed just before tea as the ball brushed his gloves before looping up for keeper Rishabh Pant to claim an easy catch. Marcus Harris, who was then unbeaten, got out off Mohammed Shami's bowling in the 17th over.
Earlier, India lost five wickets for 25 runs after lunch to get bowled out for 307 in their second innings riding on half-centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara (71) and Ajinkya Rahane (70). India only added 47 runs for their last five wickets after the resumption of play post lunch.
1. Session one on Day 4 begins
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Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwara Pujara walk in and for the Aussies, Mitchell Starc will begin the bowling. Rahane on strike, begins with a maiden over. India lead by 166 runs and will hope that these two players bat out at least in the first entire session. Pujara ends the 63rd over with two back-to-back boundaries off Hazlewood. Wide of outside off, Pujara waits till he decides to smash it through covers. Beauty, that one.
India 161 for 3, lead by 176 runs
2. 50 for Pujara!
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Lyon comes to bowl the 66th over. Rahane faces the first ball of the over and immediately takes a single. Lyon bowls a shorter delivery to Pujara, who waiting on the back foot, pushes it behind point for a single and that brings his 20th Test fifty. He also has a special record here. The commentators say that he has become just the third Indian to score a 100 and a fifty in the same Test in Australia - the other two were Mohinder Amarnath (Perth, 1977) and of course Rahul Dravid (Adelaide 2003). Take a bow, Pujara. If there was any doubt over his place in the side, because of his slow innings, he certainly has cleared the air and sealed a spot for himself.
India 171 for 3, lead by 186 runs
3. A third successful DRS review from the Indians!
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A third successful DRS review from the Indians and all the three have come off Nathan Lyon's bowling. Rahane goes forward, blocks it but the extra spin meant he might have got an inside edge that flew to Finch at forward short leg. Rahane immediately takes the DRS review. The HotSpot is clear, Snicko shows that the ball is missing the bat by a huge distance. Rahane safe, Lyon left frustrated again. A shorter ball from Lyon now, a more confident Rahane goes on the back foot and smashes a pull over mid-wicket for FOUR, takes India's lead over 200.
India 198/3, lead by 213 runs
4. Lyon's two strikes and lunch at Adelaide
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After tremendous patience and hard work, Lyon gets his man. He denies Pujara a century this innings as the Indian batter goes for 71. A couple of overs later, Lyon removes Rohit as well. But, Rohit's wicket was more to do with Handscomb at the silly point. The extra bounce generated by Lyon does it, Rohit get struck on the pad before a slight contact with the glove that flies towards Handscomb, who takes a spectacular diving catch to his right. PC: AFP
Lunch taken at the Adelaide Oval
India 260/5, lead by 275 runs
5. Lyon wins the battle vs Pant
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And Lyon has the last laugh here: In the 96th over, Pant smashes Lyon of FOUR. FOUR. FOUR. SIX to end the over and India manage to bag 18 runs off that over. Lyon only smiles, a bit at disbelief watching Pant smack him all over the park. In Lyon's next over, first ball, he avenges that hitting by removing Pant. The spinner tempts Pant with wide of outside off, as the Indian looks to go inside out over cover, he ends up giving a catch to Finch at sweeper cover. A small cameo from the young keeper-batsman comes to an end, goes for 28 off 16. PC: AFP
6. Ashwin goes
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Starc to Ashwin, a shorter ball bang on his stumps, as the Indian tries to go for a pull he gets a top-edge because of the extra bounce that goes straight to Marcus Harris at deep square leg. That was a sitter for the debutant and a second scalp this innings for the pacer. PC: AFP
7. Indians suffer a collapse, 307 all-out!
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Only breaking the Pujara-Rahane stand was tricky for the hosts because the other wickets did not seem very tough for Starc, Lyon, and Co. Soon after Pujara's dismissal, thanks to Lyon, one after the another the Indian players threw away their wickets. Lyon was even on a hat-trick when he dismissed Rahane and Shami in two consecutive balls in the 104th over. Two overs later, Starc dismissed the final wicket and India ended with a major batting collapse.
India 307 all-out, set a target of 323 for the Aussies.
8. Oh, Ishant!
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Australia begin their chase of 323. Finch and Harris are at the crease and it is Ishant Sharma again to bowl the first over. He begins with a dot. Ishant bowls an inswinger now, Finch is clueless, LBW appeal!! Dharmasena without any hesitation raises his finger. Celebrations break, Kohli is yelling his throat out in happiness. But, wait. Finch reviews it. The happy faces turn pale in no time as replays show Ishant's delivery was not legal as the umpire signals no-ball. Finch survives. A sigh of relief for the hosts. Ishant bowls another inswinger to Finch but this time there was a contact with the bat. Aussies end the first over with five runs and an almost lost wicket.
What drama!
9. OUT, Finch goes!
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OUT! He doesn't survive this time as Aaron Finch decides to walk away after being caught by Rishabh Pant at short leg. After being signalled out, Finch walks to his partner Marcus Harris, has a brief chat but then leaves the field anyway. Pant, Kohli, and Co break into a massive celebration like they have been doing for every fall of the wicket. The umpires signal Tea.
Australia 28 for 1, need 295 runs to win
10. Harris goes
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A few overs earlier, Harris survived after Pujara dropped his catch in the slip cordon. Not much damage done as Harris throws away his wicket now. Shami bowls an inswinger previous ball and knew Harris would go after the one of the off and that's exactly happened. Easy catch for Pant and Harris bangs his bat in frustration and walks away with head down.
11. Australia in trouble, 4-down already!
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With over 200 runs still required, the Aussies have already lost four wickets and thereby have given India an upper hand in the Test. After Harris, Khawaja plays a terrible shot to get out. An angry Clarke on air, "Excellent cricket from India. Horrible cricket from Khawaja and Australia." The tone of the former skipper said it all, how annoyed he was with the way his countrymen have been throwing away their wickets. Ashwin to Khawaja, the frustrated batsman dances down the track aiming to play through the covers but instead he gets a thick outside edge and the ball flies high over the covers to Rohit Sharma, who dives forward to complete a two-handed catch.
After Khawaja, the other unsettled batsman Handscomb running out of patience tries to pull a shorter delivery off Shami's bowling and ends up giving a sitter to Pujara at mid-wicket. While Pujara is all smiles, the Aussies are running out of proper batsmen here.
Australia 87 for 4, need 236 runs to win
12. 100 up for the Aussies & STUMPS!
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100 up for the Aussies but still a long way to go for them in this chase. After the wickets of Khawaja and Handscomb, Shaun Marsh and Travis Head have settled at the crease. Although the flow of runs is not being easy for them, they have not thrown their wickets at least, so far. They have played 73 balls in their stand together and have scored just 20. The good thing for the hosts is that they'll have two proper when they resume the final day on Monday.
Meanwhile, India are just six wickets away from creating history. They have never won the first Test on any Australian tour so far.
Australia are 104 for 4, still need 219 runs to win the match.
