Aussies reset for Indian Test series decider

Australia and India shared the honours in the third Test, but both sides insisted they banked the moral victory ahead of the series decider in Dharamsala.

The intense four-Test series, currently level at 1-1, will come down to five days of cricket starting on Saturday, perhaps fewer if the picturesque venue at the foot of the Himalayas produces a raging turner.

Australia salvaged a draw in Ranchi thanks to a game-changing partnership between Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh.

The stand started in Monday's morning session when Steve Smith, the most important brick in Australia's stonewall, failed to play a shot and was clean-bowled by Ravindra Jadeja. The tourists were in dire straits at 4-63.

It ended with the visitors sitting pretty at 5-187 in the final session, needing only to avoid the most cataclysmic of collapses. They did, with Handscomb finishing 72 not out.

"If there's anything called momentum in cricket it's probably with us at the moment," Smith said.

"India coming here today would have expected to bowl us out. I'm sure they're hurting a little bit."

Kohli naturally had a different take, applauding his team for seizing control of the contest after Australia won the toss and posted 451 in their first innings.

"Everyone has his point of view. We will look at our positives and we are happy with where we brought the game to after just one innings," Kohli said.

"We didn't need to bat in the second innings. They had to play for a draw."Changes likely for final Test

It would not surprise if both sides opt for at least one change to their XI.

The series so far

  • First Test, Pune - Australia wins by 333 runs
  • Second Test, Bangalore - India wins by 75 runs
  • Third Test, Ranchi - Match drawn
  • Fourth Test, Dharamsala - March 25-29

Australia's four frontline bowlers will be closely monitored during a short turnaround. They toiled for some 210 overs in India's marathon first innings during the third Test.

In terms of a single Test innings, it was a career-high workload for Josh Hazlewood (44 overs), Pat Cummins (39 overs) and Steve O'Keefe (77 overs).

Nathan Lyon delivered 46 overs and was clearly bothered by the cracked callus on his spinning finger.

However, the final innings of the match never eventuated so they were able to spend Monday recovering.

"Tired. I've never spent 210 overs in the field before," Smith said, when asked how the side felt on day four.

"SOK was actually joking for a minute there. He bowled 78 overs, if he bowled two more he was going to throw the ball off and get himself a new one from one end.

"Credit to our boys, the way they came out today after having such heavy legs and spending that time in the field.

"To be able hold out for the draw (was impressive)."

Kohli hinted paceman Mohammed Shami was in the mix for a recall, having recently returned from a knee injury that had kept him on the sidelines since December.

"We sent him to play, wanted to give him match practice," Kohli said.

"I've not spoken to selectors but all kinds of possibilities (exist) approaching the next Test."

Scorecard

India v Australia

Match: 3rd Test

Venue: JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi

Match Drawn

Australia First Innings

Runs

Extras (2nb 0w 11lb 9b)

Total 451 all out (137.3 overs)

Matthew Renshaw

c Virat Kohli b Umesh Yadav

44

David Warner

c & b Ravindra Jadeja

19

Steven Smith *

not out

178

Shaun Marsh

c Cheteshwar Pujara b Ravichandran Ashwin

2

Peter Handscomb

lbw Umesh Yadav

19

Glenn Maxwell

c Wriddhiman Saha b Ravindra Jadeja

104

Matthew Wade †

c Wriddhiman Saha b Ravindra Jadeja

37

Pat Cummins

b Ravindra Jadeja

0

Steve O'Keefe

c Murali Vijay b Umesh Yadav

25

Nathan Lyon

c Karun Nair b Ravindra Jadeja

1

Josh Hazlewood

run out (Lokesh Rahul)

0

Fall of wickets: 1-50 (David Warner, 9.4 overs), 2-80 (Matthew Renshaw, 22.3 overs), 3-89 (Shaun Marsh, 25.1 overs), 4-140 (Peter Handscomb, 42.2 overs), 5-331 (Glenn Maxwell, 101.2 overs), 6-395 (Matthew Wade, 115.4 overs), 7-395 (Pat Cummins, 115.6 overs), 8-446 (Steve O'Keefe, 134.3 overs), 9-449 (Nathan Lyon, 135.6 overs), 10-451 (Josh Hazlewood, 137.3 overs)

Bowling

O

R

W

Ishant Sharma

20

70

0

Umesh Yadav

31

106

3

Ravichandran Ashwin

34

114

1

Ravindra Jadeja

49.3

124

5

Murali Vijay

3

17

0

 

India First Innings

Runs

Extras (0nb 0w 5lb 14b)

Total 603 for 9 declared (210.0 overs)

Lokesh Rahul

c Matthew Wade b Pat Cummins

67

Murali Vijay

st Matthew Wade b Steve O'Keefe

82

Cheteshwar Pujara

c Glenn Maxwell b Nathan Lyon

202

Virat Kohli *

c Steven Smith b Pat Cummins

6

Ajinkya Rahane

c Matthew Wade b Pat Cummins

14

Karun Nair

b Josh Hazlewood

23

Ravichandran Ashwin

c Matthew Wade b Pat Cummins

3

Wriddhiman Saha †

c Glenn Maxwell b Steve O'Keefe

117

Ravindra Jadeja

not out

54

Umesh Yadav

c David Warner b Steve O'Keefe

16

Ishant Sharma

not out

0

Fall of wickets: 1-91 (Lokesh Rahul, 31.2 overs), 2-193 (Murali Vijay, 70.4 overs), 3-225 (Virat Kohli, 80.4 overs), 4-276 (Ajinkya Rahane, 91.2 overs), 5-320 (Karun Nair, 107.4 overs), 6-328 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 115.4 overs), 7-527 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 193.2 overs), 8-541 (Wriddhiman Saha, 196.1 overs), 9-595 (Umesh Yadav, 208.2 overs)

Bowling

O

R

W

Josh Hazlewood

44

103

1

Pat Cummins

39

106

4

Steve O'Keefe

77

199

3

Nathan Lyon

46

163

1

Glenn Maxwell

4

13

0

 

Australia Second Innings

Runs

Extras (3nb 0w 4lb 9b)

Total 204 for 6 (100.0 overs)

David Warner

b Ravindra Jadeja

14

Matthew Renshaw

lbw Ishant Sharma

15

Nathan Lyon

b Ravindra Jadeja

2

Steven Smith *

b Ravindra Jadeja

21

Shaun Marsh

c Murali Vijay b Ravindra Jadeja

53

Peter Handscomb

not out

72

Glenn Maxwell

c Murali Vijay b Ravichandran Ashwin

2

Matthew Wade †

not out

9

Pat Cummins

   

Steve O'Keefe

   

Josh Hazlewood

   

Fall of wickets: 1-17 (David Warner, 5.1 overs), 2-23 (Nathan Lyon, 7.2 overs), 3-59 (Matthew Renshaw, 28.4 overs), 4-63 (Steven Smith, 29.1 overs), 5-187 (Shaun Marsh, 91.2 overs), 6-190 (Glenn Maxwell, 94.4 overs)

Bowling

O

R

W

Ravichandran Ashwin

30

71

1

Ravindra Jadeja

44

54

4

Umesh Yadav

15

36

0

Ishant Sharma

11

30

1

AAP

Author: 
www.abc.net.au