India needed 441 to win post lunch on Day Three of the first Test at Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. No team has triumphed in the pursuit of such colossal target. India had chased down 387 against England. That was India’s highest. That was also the highest in India. Hence, the question beckons: can India make history? On the other hand, Virat Kohli leads a No. 1 team. They have not lost a match in 19 contests. In fact, India has never been in such precarious position. Agreed that they beat the likes of Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, and England, but never have they been in an uphill climb as this. Full cricket scorecard: India vs Australia, 1st Test
Steven Smith was in a teasing mood. He started the proceedings with two of his experienced candidates: Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. And no, Steve O’Keefe, the India destroyer, did not open the innings. However, Smith’s experienced bowlers could not do what O’Keefe did. The southpaw drew first blood. He dismissed Murali Vijay, one of India’s best at top order, for 2. Pitching it on off, the ball held its line and trapped Vijay in front. Umpire raised his finger right away. Vijay looked perplexed. He went to KL Rahul and asked whether to take DRS, and soon he fashioned a T sign. The replay showed the ball would have hit the leg-stump. And that is how India wasted their first review.
We saw a reminiscence of Vijay’s dismissal in the very next over. At the receiving end was Rahul. This time he asked Cheteshwar Pujara. The result was the same. India lost both reviews before Virat Kohli, No. 2 batsmen in ICC Test Rankings, took the crease.
Kohli hit a boundary. Of course, it was his trademark cover-drive. India needed more such fours. But Kohli did a Faf du Plessis or a Hashim Amla or a Steven Smith in 2013-14. He let go O’Keefe’s delivery. It went straight and uprooted the off-stump. There was a pin-drop silence. India’s hope amidst trouble took a long walk. Live blog: India vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3
6 overs later Ajinkya Rahane holed out to Lyon at cover. India lost 4 wickets. Then the ruins continued. O’Keefe got his 10-wicket haul, dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin. India’s half the side was back in the pavilion, within a session’s time, with 362 runs to win.
To make matters worse, O’Keefe dismissed Wriddhiman Saha in the last over before tea, taking Australia closer to victory.
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) & 95 for 5 (Cheteshwar Pujara 31, Ajinkya Rahane 18; Steve O’Keefe 5 for 33) by 342.
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