Published: Dec 28, 2020, 01:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 28, 2020, 01:29 PM (IST)
India took a giant step towards what will be a series levelling win in the ongoing second Test against Australia on Day 3 in Melbourne. After securing a sizeable 131-run lead in their first innings despite a collapse, India had reduced Australia to 133/6 by the time stumps were drawn on Monday with the hosts leading by a mere 2 runs.
The drama unfolded in the third and final session wherein Indian bowlers, as was the case in the first innings, put up a combined display. Ravindra Jadeja (2/25) was the pick of the bowlers as he ended a stubborn resistance put up by opener Matthew Wade (40 off 137) before accounting for captain Tim Paine in controversial fashion putting his team firmly in the driving seat.
Australian bowlers had done well to keep India from gaining a big lead after taking down their remaining five batsmen in the morning session itself for the addition of just 49 runs. Centurion Ajinkya Rahane was run out on 112 when Jadeja attempted a quick single when batting on 49.
Rahane was caught millimetres short of his crease at the striker’s end leaving Jadeja gutted. However, the allrounder quickly got over it as he brought out the sword celebration after reaching what was his 15th Test fifty.
He had to face a barrage of short balls from the Aussie pacers and was caught in the deep by one such delivery of Mitchell Starc when batting on 57. Nathan Lyon (3/72) and Josh Hazlewood (1/47) cleaned up the tail as India were bowled out for 326.
But Australia’s hopes of setting up a challenging target suffered a major blow when Umesh Yadav produced a peach of a delivery to have opener Joe Burns (4) caught behind. Yadav would later hobble off the field after complaining of pain in his calf giving India a major injury scare.
However, the fact that there were still four bowlers to shuffle through meant the tourists weren’t affected badly by the pacer’s absence for the remainder of the day’s play. Marnus Labuschagne (28) started well before Ravichandran Ashwin laid a trap to have him caught in the slips.
Steven Smith’s lean patch continued and this time, Jasprit Bumrah had him bowled for 8.
Wade meanwhile continued to offer some fight and his stand with Travis Head (17) raised hopes of a rebuild. However, Head chased after a wide delivery from Mohammed Siraj to be caught behind leaving Australia tottering at 98/5.
Paine (1) was then given out caught-behind after India reviewed and the snickometer detected an edge despite nothing on HotSpot.
At 99/6, trailing by 32 runs and the tail exposed, there was a real possibility of a result on day three itself. However, allrounder Cameron Green (17*) and Pat Cummins (15*) saw through the remainder of the final session to push Australia ahead and take the contest into the fourth day.
Brief Scores: Australia 195 and 133/6 (Matthew Wade 40; Ravindra Jadeja 2/25) lead India 326 (Ajinkya Rahane 112, Ravindra Jadeja 57; Nathan Lyon 3/72) by 2 runs
