Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon took eight wickets in India’s second innings to put his team in complete command of the third Test being played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Thursday. Australia needed just 75 runs to win their first game on this tour after India were bowled out for yet another poor score despite a fighting half-century from their middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara.
It was a day in which fortunes song from one side to another with Australia losing the plot in the first half of the day but bouncing back strongly through Nathan Lyon in the second half to take complete control of the game. Australia had reduced their first innings at 156/4 on Thursday morning, but they were soon bowled out for just 197 with the likes of Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin causing the damage.
After Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets on the first day, senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 3/44 in the second and write them fast bowler Umesh Yadav claimed three wickets for just 12 runs from his five overs as Australia suffered yet another batting collapse on the store to be bowled out for 197, with a lead of 88 runs in the first innings.
The first innings lead certainly came in handy for the visiting team as they continued to apply pressure on the Indian batsmen through their veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon. The right-arm bowler accounted for all three top Indian batsmen, Rohit Sharma (12), Shubman Gill (5) and later on in the day, Cheteshwar Pujara for 59 after the No 3 batsman had faced 142 balls for his five boundaries and a six.
There was more disappointment in the store for senior India batsman Virat Kohli who fell for 13 against left-arm spinner Matthew ga Ma, while Ravindra Jadeja (7), Srikar Bharat (3), Ravichandran Ashwin (16), Umesh Yadav (0) and Mohammed Siraj (0) all became victims of Nathan Lyon.
The Indian batsmen were guilty of not batting responsibly once again after their disappointing performance in the first innings where they were bowled out for 109 in just 33.2 overs. There was indeed a slightly improved performance in the second essay, largely because of Cheteshwar Pujara facing more than 140 balls for his 59 which has been the only significant contribution with the bat by any Indian in this Test.
India were bowled out for just 163 and 60.3 overs which left Australia needing only 75 runs to win the third Test at Indore and make it 2-1, having lost the first two matches of this for game series by comprehensive margins in Nagpur and New Delhi.