Australia need to bat out the fourth day and then some more if they want to go into the third Test against India with a chance of still winning the series. We’ll have live coverage from 3.00pm AEDT.
India had a chance to bat Australia out of the second Test but instead a startling middle-order collapse saw them lose nine wickets for 116 runs.
Centurions Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara propelled India to 1/387 before Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell combined well to pick up the rest.
Still, the hosts went into the second Australian innings with a lead of 266 runs, huge in the circumstances.
A couple of catches went down early in the Australian reply with both Dave Warner and Ed Cowan the beneficiaries of the Indian largesse.
The pair added 56 for the opening wicket before R Ashwin shrugged off a poor start to dislodge the partnership.
Warner fell sweeping to the off-spinner, before Phil Hughes’ miserable run in India continued as he was bowled without scoring. Hughes’ stroke wasn’t too different from the manner in which Warner got out – bowled around his stumps to an attempted sweep.
What this could do is set about some wariness in the incoming Australian batsmen and stifle their attempts to sweep the Indian spinners.
On a track where scoring runs hasn’t been the easiest, this could potentially take one scoring shot away from the visitors’ repertoire.
India will do well to not consider this a done deal. Much like the Vijay-Pujara stand, it will require Australia one long enough partnership to bring them back with a knocking chance of at least saving the game.
Australia will look at Faf du Plessis for inspiration, a South African batsman who batted 376 balls in the Adelaide Test last year to guide his side to safety.
If one of the Australian batsmen can stick around like him and the others can bat around him, the visitors could build on the good couple of sessions they had on the third day.
Live coverage of the game begins from 3.00pm AEDT this afternoon, feel free add your opinion in the comments section below.
tra
Roar Rookie
Cowan has a tidy average in England.
pope paul v11
Guest
get out of it matt - 1979 estabs lost 2-0 in in India in a six test series Border, Hughes ( Kim ) Yallop, Wood all 100s. Dymock 7/67 Hoggy, jimmy Higgs read a history book
jannerboyuk
Guest
it'll be as tough as ever and we would be daft to underestimate your guys even after this shellacking, but hey im going to enjoy it while i can!
pope paul v11
Guest
matt h - too good
nickyc
Guest
I can't understand how Harbhajan gets in the side ahead of Ojha who was easily India's best spin bowler in the England series. Having said that, I also can't understand how Ashwin has apparently become such a devastating match winner when he looked so toothless in the four tests against England (14 wkts @ 52.64 each).
Nudge
Guest
You guys got smoked in 2 tests against South Africa and were getting smoked in the drawn test. We got smoked in 1 test and were smashing them in the 2 drawn tests. So going by that aus 3-1
Rob Barrow
Guest
As a die hard fan it's obviously hard to take such a beating, but as Clarke readily admitted we have been completely outplayed once again. I truly can't see the reason now for keeping Khawaja out of the side any longer- if we can drop Lyon so quickly then surely we can lose one of our underperforming batsmen just as quickly. Here's hoping we can put up more of a fight next match, but I sincerely doubt it, and am starting to question our chances in the Ashes.
pope paul v11
Guest
Better than being dropped Nudgey , 'sides his girl will be right annoyed if he doesn't show up at the birth
Nudge
Guest
There is an australian a tour to England just before the ashes
sheek
Roar Guru
It would be interesting Brett, Back in the days of uncovered wickets, if a team made a tactical declaration in the first innings & still lost by an innings.
jannerboyuk
Guest
wah wah excuses excuses, we managed to adjust to indian conditions well enough, never mind im sure you'll find another good excuse soon enough. we thrashed you 3-1 in your own conditions so its hard to see this bunch of mugs doing any better away in england
TheGenuineTailender
Roar Guru
All the Lion vs Aus A games have been played already.
Red Kev
Guest
If Maxwell came out and apologised for his on-field demeanor during the SL series (and the WI series, and during this match towards the umpire) and dropped the stupidly aggressive pseudo-arrogant posturing and wiped that smarmy grin off his face, I might lay off him. Until then he's simply an immature tool with tickets on himself trying to act big and tough and gets nothing from me but derision.
Richard
Guest
Looking forward to wiping the smug grin off your face!. We will be a very competitive in your conditions, unless you produce rolled mud like in India
Lachlan Simpson
Guest
It's certainly a fair point, Simon. But I think we can assume that until quite recently, Maxwell, Doherty, Smith, and some others have all been available for their state sides. I wouldn't go so far as to say that there's some sort of prejudice that the selectors have against the queensland players, but perhaps (almost certainly) there is a lack of logic in the process for selections. I suppose what Ben may be trying to say is that if their current selection criteria are not working (obviously the case) why not pick players that have proven they can perform when the stakes are high?
Harry
Guest
He was utterly hopeless when picked a few years ago. A boy against men. Haven;t seen anything really in shield cricket that suggests it would be any different this time around.
Nudge
Guest
Is Watson definitely going home? I haven't heard a thing about about it apart from this site. And does anyone know when Australia a v English lions tour dates are can't find them anywhere. I'm moving onto the ashes. Shattered
jannerboyuk
Guest
ha ha oh dear he he. Looking forward to the ashes :)
hammertime
Guest
Steady on chaps. Now is not the time to panic . England beat India twice and we are lucky enough to have 10 tests coming up against them. We can panic then.
Simon
Guest
How so Red Kev? He certainly didn't in the first test. His figures were far worse than Maxwell's on a pitch that looked like a spinner's paradise.