Australia set 441-run target on Day Three of the first Test at Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium against India. Captain Steven Smith led from the front and scored his maiden hundred in India. He now averages 88.83 against India, best for any batsmen against them. To add fuel to the fire, this was his 10th hundred as Australian captain. Full cricket scorecard: India vs Australia, 1st Test
Smith ran hard for the second run. He then came down the track despite the ball turning square. Mitchell Marsh opened the face of the bat and added another single to the score. Four runs came off the first over. The lead read 302. Australia were in command, no doubt about it. Australia, like the mighty Australians they are known for, came with an intent to score runs rather than hanging out in the middle given the amount of time left in the match. India, on the other end, left nothing to chance. Virat Kohli had both spinners in action. Ravichandran Ashwin tossed up. Ravindra Jadeja bowled flat. A few deliveries turned, a few bounced, and a few held their line. But Australia kept pushing India in further misery. Live blog: India vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3
Ashwin dropped it short twice. Marsh, on both occasions, punched it through cover region. Smith played one fine past the leg-slip. Australia were dealing in boundaries, and Ashwin, India’s mainstay, was at the receiving end.
However, India finally had some respite. Marsh thin-edged one off Jadeja. He scored 31 off 76 inclusive off 4 fours and a six. Regardless, Smith was already at the crease. He yet again danced down the track and lofted one over mid-wicket for four. At the other end was Matthew Wade. He hit two boundaries: first one was a scythe past point and the second a gentle push through cover. However, Kohli introduced Umesh Yadav, the pacer who had taken a four-wicket haul in the first innings. He came round the wicket and bowled outside off, with a two-slip cordon. He beat Wade’s outside edge. In fact, one of them seemed to have taken a nick. Kohli looked animated but umpire nodded. To make matters worse, India had wasted both their reviews inside the first 40 overs. All the same, Umesh bowled a similar delivery and induced another outside edge. Wade added 20 runs to the lead.
Smith, in all honesty, was lucky in this innings. Substitute fielder Abhinav Mukund dropped him twice, though the first one was a tough chance. This morning Smith had played one down the leg, going just past Ajinkya Rahane. Jadeja had him trapped him lbw, but umpire thought the ball had hit the bat first, and he gave the benefit of doubt to the batsman. Nonetheless, had India had DRS, Smith would have walked back. But that did not happen so, and India could not get the better of him. The Australian captain went on to score his maiden hundred in India, on a track that was made to spell doom for the visitors.
India then made comeback in the last session. They dismissed Smith for 109 — now the highest second-innings total by an Australian in India. Jadeja slid one through and trapped the Australian captain in front. India then wrapped up the tail, eventually taking 6 wickets in an extended first session.
Brief scores:
Australia 260 (Matt Renshaw 68, Mitchell Starc 61; Umesh Yadav 4 for 32, R Ashwin 3 for 63) & 285 (Matt Renshaw 31, Steven Smith 109, R Ashwin 4 for 119) lead India 105 (KL Rahul 64; Steve O’Keefe 6 for 35, Mitchell Starc 2 for 38) by 440.
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