(ESPNCRICINFO) – After a promising opening stand of 71 by India, Australia’s relentless pace attack got rid of both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill within half an hour to remind the visitors that they were still facing an uphill task of not just needing another 309 runs but also surviving 97 overs on the last day. With India 98 for 2, and Ravindra Jadeja dealing with a fractured thumb which may not let him bat, Australia could be only three wickets away from opening the tail and storming their way towards a 2-1 series lead.
Australia propelled themselves into a dominant position with half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith and Cameron Green, who put on a display of belligerent hitting after crossing 50 with the help of four sixes that enabled them to score at 5.65 in the second session. Once Australia declared with a massive lead of 406 at tea, Sharma and Gill gave India a glimmer of hope by stitching a partnership of 71, but Gill fell to Josh Hazlewood’s stifling line outside off and Sharma pulled a short ball straight to fine leg to leave India 92 for 2.
Paine sanctioned for dissent
Australia’s Test captain was fined 15% of his match fees for showing dissent at an umpiring decision. Paine expressed displeasure through an expletive-laden outburst after an unsuccessful lbw review against Cheteshwar Pujara in the final session on Sunday. He was handed one demerit point to his offence, his first in 24 months.
Sharma wasn’t afraid to pull from the very first ball of the innings and the shot even fetched him a six off Green soon after he had unleashed two exquisite cover drives off Mitchell Starc in the previous over. Gill, too, exhibited elegant back-foot punches on the way to his 31 as the new ball barely moved around. India’s 34 overs also saw as many as four reviews taken, all off Hazlewood’s bowling.
The first two came within a space of three balls in the eighth over when Hazlewood thought he had Sharma lbw with a delivery that jagged back in. Replays, however, showed the ball was going over the stumps. Two balls later, after Sharma nearly chopped on in between for a single, Tim Paine reviewed when they thought Gill edged one behind, but the ball had only flicked the pad.
The second set of reviews occurred in the 23rd over and this time Hazlewood tasted success by getting a thick edge off Gill’s bat. Gill somehow thought of reviewing that and lost his team a review. Three balls later, Paul Wilson adjudged Cheteshwar Pujara lbw on a duck but the batsman reviewed immediately after being hit on the thigh pad and was saved by ball-tracking’s projection of the ball going over the stumps.
After reaching his half-century with a lofted swing for four off Nathan Lyon, Sharma departed when he pulled Pat Cummins straight to fine leg and walked back in disappointment.
Another promising sign for the hosts was the temperament with which Green batted after Smith’s dismissal and switched gears to extend the lead. Three of his four sixes came against Mohammed Siraj after he saw through a tough spell from Jasprit Bumrah. Green looked at ease during his 132-ball stay.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA 1st innings 338………………………………………………
India 1st innings 244
Australia 2nd innings o/n 103-2
David Warner lbw Ravichandran Ashwin 13
Will Pucovski c (Sub) b Mohammed Siraj 10
Marnus Labuschagne c (Sub) b Navdeep Saini 73
Steven Smith lbw Ravichandran Ashwin 81
Matthew Wade c (Sub) b Navdeep Saini 4
Cameron Green c (Sub) b Jasprit Bumrah 84
Tim Paine Not Out 39
Extras 1b 4lb 3nb 0pen 0w 8
Total (87.0 overs) 312 decl
Fall of Wickets : 1-16 Pucovski, 2-35 Warner, 3-138 Labuschagne, 4-148 Wade, 5-208 Smith, 6-312 Green
Did Not Bat : Cummins, Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood
Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 21 – 4- 68 – 1, Mohammed Siraj 25 – 5 – 90 – 1 (1nb),
Navdeep Saini 16 – 2 – 54 – 2 (2nb), Ravichandran Ashwin 25 – 1 – 95 – 2.
……………………………………………….
INDIA 2nd innings
Rohit Sharma c Mitchell Starc b Pat Cummins 52
Shubman Gill c Tim Paine b Josh Hazlewood 31
Cheteshwar Pujara Not Out 9
Ajinkya Rahane Not Out 4
Extras 0b 1lb 1nb 0pen 0w 2
Total (34.0 overs) 98-2
Fall of Wickets : 1-71 Gill, 2-92 Sharma
To Bat : Vihari, Pant, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bumrah, Siraj, Saini
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 6 – 0 – 27 – 0, Josh Hazlewood 8 – 3 – 11 – 1,
Pat Cummins 9 – 1 – 25 – 1 (1nb), Nathan Lyon 9 – 3 – 22 – 0, Cameron Green 2 – 0 – 12 – 0 .
