Cheteshwar Pujara’s face-off with Australia was one of the anticipated subplots of the continued Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and it met all expectations as the 2 got here head-to-head once more throughout day two of the third Test on the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Thursday.
Unlike the storied Gabba innings of 2021, the place he summoned the whole physique into his act of resistance, Pujara right here blocked with sheer bloody-minded effort and ability, and within the firm of the tail, took the sting out of Australia’s probing spin assault from one finish.
But simply as he was beginning to push that lead right into a realm, the place the haunting phrases of Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert, “Houston… we’ve had a problem here,” could have began ringing within the customer’s dressing room, Steve Smith plucked a one-handed blinder at leg-slip to ship Pujara again for 59. Nathan Lyon was the wrecker-in-chief with 8 for 64 as India set Australia a goal of 76.
If Dharamsala — the unique venue for the third Test — was imagined to be Australia’s succour, Indore was anticipated to be simply one other cease in a sequence of seemingly unending torment for the customer. However, whereas Australia’s present spin trio could also be far off from being feted as one of many world’s greatest – aside from Lyon – they held up their finish of the cut price on the Holkar Stadium by being disciplined and affected person.
After taking an 88-run lead, Australia struck early. Shubman Gill’s weird shot choice led to his demise within the first over after Lunch. He callously skipped out to an excellent size ball from Lyon for a wild heave however didn’t get anyplace near the pitch of the supply and misplaced his woodwork, crushed by the flip and dip.
Matt Kuhnemann, who shared the brand new ball with Mitchell Starc, didn’t get as a lot flip right this moment, however his unerring line to Pujara, nagging away at center and leg, had India’s No. 3 on his toes. Smith amplified the strain with two slips and a short-leg fielder.
With India nonetheless 56 in arrears, the strain took its toll, not on Pujara however Rohit Sharma, who misjudged Lyon’s size to be struck on the pads plumb in entrance. It was the eighth time he had accounted for Sharma in 10 Tests. Kuhnemann was then rewarded for his exhausting work when Virat Kohli went again to a ball that saved a contact low and beat his angled bat to lure him lbw for 13.
Meanwhile, Pujara stood like a rock on the different finish. There gave the impression to be a larger sense of stability on the crease, a decisiveness in his footwork as he flicked the spinners and chipped away on the deficit with Ravindra Jadeja, albeit at a glacial tempo. Pujara avoided enjoying horizontal batted photographs and ran effectively between the wickets. But when Jadeja was adjudged lbw off Lyon minutes earlier than Tea, India was nonetheless 10 behind with six second-innings wickets in hand.
However, India went on the offensive within the closing session, with Shreyas Iyer main the counterattack. He was helped by Kuhnemann, who sometimes bowled quick and was smacked for 2 fours and as many sixes by Iyer; the second most prompting Smith, who was standing at slip, to gesture Mitchell Starc at long-off to heat up. The bowling change labored pronto as Starc struck with the second ball of his new spell; a diving Usman Khawaja at midwicket intercepting a agency flick from Iyer to finish a surprising catch. Okay.S. Bharat and Ravichandran Ashwin fell cheaply. But it was Pujara’s dismissal which felt like the ultimate nail within the coffin.
Earlier, on a dusty wicket, Peter Handscomb held his facet collectively not a lot with adhesive tape as bolstered concrete, proving that batting needn’t at all times should be enticing to be impactful. Here, Handscomb saved enjoying the road of the ball to protect in opposition to the one which got here straight. He was unfazed each time Jadeja zipped the ball previous his exterior edge, defending off the entrance foot with tender arms. Handscomb, within the firm of Cameron Green, added 30 from 16 overs within the first hour, with the lead creeping to 77.
But simply when there have been indicators that an absorbing fifth-wicket 40-run stand might remodel into one thing extra, Ravichandran Ashwin (3 for 44), bowling from the Pavilion End, efficiently exploited a patch of mud simply exterior the off-stump and acquired the ball to leap at Handscomb, who acquired an inside edge to Iyer at short-leg. His affected person 19 off 98 might but show to be very essential.
Green was then struck on the again pad by Umesh Yadav (3 for 12) within the very subsequent over. The on-field resolution was out. However, Green reviewed it, however to no avail. Those two dismissals hastened the top of Australia’s first innings because it slipped from 192 for 7 to be bowled out for 197. Along the way in which, Umesh additionally accomplished 100 Test wickets in India, turning into solely the fifth pacer to realize this feat after Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.
The state of the floor and how briskly this Test has moved may very well be gauged from the truth that 30 wickets fell by Stumps on the second day. For Australia, a historic day beckons whereas India will consider if Australia can lose 6 for 11 as soon as, it might probably occur once more.
Ayan Acharya
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com
.jpg)
