Nathan Lyon’s four-wicket haul stalled the hosts’ progress after tea and brought parity to a see-sawing Test between Australia and India in Dharamsala. Follow all the Day 3 action from 3pm (AEDT) right here on The Roar.
India were not exactly racing along when they got to tea at 2-153, but Lyon’s four-for in the third session paved the way for Australia to come back into the Test after they had been bowled out for 300 on Day 1.
Lyon grabbed the wickets of the stone-walling Cheteshwar Pujara, who had looked to take the game away from the Aussies, and then had Karun Nair, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin struggling to read his turn and bounce on a surface that had afforded nothing of that sort to the spinners until a few overs before the tea break.
India slid to 6-248 thanks to Lyon and with the top six batsmen all having returned to the pavillion, life might not exactly be the easiest for the lower order going into Day 3.
Wriddhiman Saha is coming off a century in Ranchi, where Ravindra Jadeja hammered a quickfire fifty, but that was a flatter, slower pitch.
On this surface, and against an attack that was provided India’s top-scorer, KL Rahul, with “the toughest session I have faced in Test cricket so far,” it might be asking too much to expect the tail to get going.
Already Saha has looked uncomfortable against Lyon while Jadeja has looked an lbw candidate against the speedsters. With the ball only a few overs old and expected to swing through the morning session, Saha, Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the final two batsmen will hope they can get a few runs.
Where India once looked like snatching a 100-run lead, it’s now a question of whether they can actually go in front of the tourists.
Australia will look to run through the lower order and grab a handy lead for themselves but one of the best possible results from a neutral’s perspective would be if the two sides ended close to each other in the first innings, effectively making it a one innings encounter.
Follow the live scores and blog of the third day of this fourth Test between India and Australia from 3pm (AEDT) here on The Roar.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
India are 2/84 in 20 overs at 10.40 IST, so they are going to win the Test and the Series 2-1, though my prediction was 3-0. They have lost the First Test due to over-confidence. Of-course Virat has failed miserably in this Series is also a reason.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
It was a fair claim from Vijay given he had his fingers below the ball which is what he was saying. But looked like it might have touched the ground between the fingers. So Smith calling him a “f###ing cheat” was a bit over the top. I still remember Ponting picking up a ball after it clearly hit the ground (and no one could even pretend he hadnt seen it) and claiming the catch. It was given as I guess those days it wasnt reviewed as much and fielders' integrity was taken for granted. Cant recall the batsman, but may have been Ganguly. There is a youtube video somewhere on that.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
Cannot disagree with any of the above.
Matthew H
Guest
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3719044/thumbs/o-ADELAIDE-OVAL-570.jpg
George
Guest
Get some journos to press 'Boof' on his favouritism towards certain players.
George
Guest
Khawaja has had a very poor series. And he's never scored a 50 at home v England either... a glimmer of hope for Lehmann to exclude him from the Ashes too? (As supported by Johnson's comment re Marshes) it's very important mates are selected.
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
It is a waste of energy to ponder over what may happen tommorow, I can assure you india won't collapse as they have picked people on current form and not bunch of "super specialists", e.g they dropped abhinav mukund immediately, they didn't mind resting kohli as he was out of form anyways, they finally did drop ishant sharma, and when they found they are playing a bowler short they bought in kuldeep yadav while sacrificing a batsman. While as Australia had an exactly opposite situation, they were a batsman short right from the pune test, with such a long tail and wade the keeper it knew collapses are always gonna be on cards but they persist with their "winnng combo" and "specialists"! Why is it ever more amusing the non inclusion of inform khawaja or some other proper batsman like voges / bailey is because of that long tail they have!
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
I agree
Brasstax
Guest
"Warner scored more runs than Rahane, Vijay and Kohli. I doubt they’re in danger of being dropped." True but Rahane and Vijay have scored runs and tons all over the world and so too has Kohli with the exception being England. So the three of them have just had an underwhelming series considering their ability and past record. In contrast this is not the first time that Warner has proven to be a damp squib in these conditions. And to think that another player in arguably better nick has been made to sit out this entire series based on the assumption that he is toothless on such tracks based on a far smaller sample size. If I were Usman Khwaja, I would be sending an "up yours" email to the selectors and team management.
Brasstax
Guest
If 6 have a brain fade, that still leaves us to bowl at Saha and Jadeja who are not the worst number 7 and 8 going around.
Brasstax
Guest
Even if every single word of that prophecy comes true, we still have Saha and Jadeja to contend with. This is a mighty Indian batting lineup.
Brasstax
Guest
"Shaun Marsh was pathetic yet again..." "Handscomb didn’t impress..." Just wow! These 2 blokes are the reason why we started this day with a good chance of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. No mention about Warner's performance or lack of...
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Looks like starting to get healthier again those scores, anyways thanks for putting those numbers up.
Brasstax
Guest
My armchair musings after watching this series... 1. Steve Smith is THE best test match batsmen of not only this era but at least since 1990 when I started watching/following the five day game. 2. We are still a one batsman team notwithstanding a couple of fighting fifties from Shaun Marsh, Wade, Renshaw and Hanscomb's Ranchi show of defiance. 3. If you do not agree with the above comment, it still cannot be disputed that right now only it is imperative for Steve Smith to crack a large ton for us to be in a position to win any test match. 4. After today's second innings, it is clear that Renshaw will be targeted by short pitched bowling by the Poms. 5. For the next 5 years we are going to be the number one fast bowling side in the world and the most all round bowling side able to cover all bases for all conditions. 6. Glenn Maxwell must be given a decent run which in my book reads he should bat at six in all home and away games for the 2017-18 season. 7. I stand up and salute Lyon's lion hearted efforts despite a painfully split and swollen spinning finger and I daresay he has out bowled Ashwin on his home turf. 8. David Warner is officially a flat track bully. There I said it. 9. India are one amazing batting team and it is clear Virat Kohli scoring or playing does not matter to them unlike in the ODI format. 10. Dharamshala is THE most beautiful cricket venue on the planet at present.
Rats
Guest
I haven't mentioned his recent ODI stats.. doesn't look good either..
Rats
Guest
lol.. Right.. but just for stats.. Last 4 series .. Amla's scores.. 50,38,21,24,1,134,0,29,48,20,45,5,47,1,1 not just about scoring poorly.. also about how clueless he has become while batting.. Need to go back to FC cricket to gain some confidence back, if you ask me...
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Lol, Do whatever you can but please don't bring my favourite Hashim and that bug hafeez on the same page! This "government emolyee" has given me lifetime itches!
Rats
Guest
haha.. Good one... No disrespect to Hashim Amla.. He is amazing.. His records are amazing.. But his form lately have been terrible. Not just one series.. but many.. Still SA can't even think about dropping him.. Just for that sake, I would add him too to your undroppable list.. :P
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
"Players" like marshes, akmals, misbahs & hafeezs should look to start a new cricket team -UNDROPPABLE XI.. to do some favor to their respective national sides!
Ozibatla
Guest
Did I read correctly, Shaun Marsh has picked up a back injury? Of course he has! Probably did it sittin on his backside watching others do his job for him. Fair dinkum, hes not a "sub continent specialist", not even a "sub specialist". Just a flat out "injury specialist". Does anyone believe in miracles? Surely not even divine intervention from the Dalai Llama will save the aussies from here.