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<\/gu-island><\/span><\/p>\n\n\nHow\u2019s this for a stat:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/article>\n\n\n25th over: India 69-3 (Pujara 33, Jadeja 2) <\/strong>That\u2019s a good shot from Pujara as he leans back and hammers a pull in front of square for four. The difference between this one and the one that got Kohli is that Pujara looked to play it much straighter and therefore presented more of the blade. He leans back again to some width outside the off stump but there\u2019s a man sweeping on the cover fence. Jadeja chips a single to long on before Pujara uses his feet and smears a boundary back past Kuhnemann with a swish of his wrists. Quality batting.<\/p>\n\nUpdated at 03.15\u00a0EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n24th over: India 59-3 (Pujara 24, Jadeja 1) <\/strong>Lyon is back after a few overs. Five runs come from this one with Jadeja getting off the mark with a nudge off the inside of his bat towards midwicket and Pujara takes a single and three more with a cut off the back foot. Lyon might need an over or two to find his range again.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n23rd over: India 54-3 (Pujara 20, Jadeja 0) <\/strong>A hush descends over the ground as another big wicket falls. Kuhnemann\u2019s flighted ball at the start of the over turned and bounced and caught Kohli on the thumb. He needed the attention of the team physio but dusted himself off to hammer a well timed back foot cover drive for four. Poor shot selection did him in the end. It really was an ugly stroke. It\u2019s as if he hasn\u2019t been paying attention all game.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nWICKET! Kohli lbw Kuhnemann 13 (India 54-3)<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n Oh Virat, what have you done? He\u2019s gone back to a ball that\u2019s kept a touch low and he\u2019s paid the price. How many times has that happened this Test? He was perhaps emboldened to play that shot as he\u2019d just crunched a boundary off the back foot through the covers but this one\u2019s straighter and squeezes past his angled blade in his attempt to work it through midwicket. He doesn\u2019t hang around to review it. He knows that\u2019s stone dead.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n22nd over: India 50-2 (Pujara 20, Kohli 9) <\/strong>Kohli press a single into the covers to bring uo the 50 Murphy is quick and flat through the air. More of a holding style than an outright attacker. Pujara is happy to play it late it\u2019s five dots in a row to see out the over.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n21st over: India 49-2 (Pujara 20, Kohli 8)<\/strong>. Tidy from Kuhnemann. Better line too as he;s around the fourth stump, rather than too straight. Pujara wasn\u2019t entirely comfortable there. Kohli kicked off the over with a single down to long off.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n20th over: India 48-2 (Pujara 20, Kohli 7) <\/strong>Muprhy continues after a drinks break. Pujara flicks him behind square and takes a couple before coming out his crease to take a single in front of square. Nice flicky hands through the ball from India\u2019s No. 3. Kohli will keep the strike with a single down to long on. Murphy just a touch to straight to both batters.<\/p>\n\nUpdated at 02.53\u00a0EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\nNow that we\u2019ve started the (very premature) Cam Green vs Ben Stokes debate, here\u2019s Rob Wolf Petersen <\/strong>offering his views:<\/p>\n\u201cBit generous to compare Cam Green and Ben Stokes based purely on numbers! When Green\u2019s played match-defining innings in two World Cup finals and reinvented Australian cricket as skipper, there might be a case to make!\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m with you Rob. Long way to go for the young Aussie, talented though he may be.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n19th over: India 44-2 (Pujara 17, Kohli 6) <\/strong>Bowling change. Kuhnemann replaces Lyon, perhaps to orchestrate a change of ends for the primary spinner. Perhaps now. Two slips and no catchers in front of the wicket for Pujara and he works the first ball of the over to short fine leg for a single. Kuhnemann drops one slightly short to Kohli who looks to cut but ends up looping a strange shot over the slips and it goes for four. That looked odd. Kohli clearly trying to exert himself. Two singles \u2013 one for Kohli down the ground and another to Pujara square on the leg side \u2013 means that\u2019s seven from that set.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n18th over: India 37-2 (Pujara 15, Kohli 1) <\/strong>Good from Murphy. Lovely shape with just enough flight to keep Kohli guessing. A half tracker encourages Kohli to rock back and try and whack it but it keeps low. If that was any straighter he\u2019d have been skittled. He survives but it\u2019s another maiden. Momentum definitely with the Aussies now as India still trail by 51.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n17th over: India 37-2 (Pujara 16, Kohli 1) <\/strong>Pujara whips a short (but not that short) ball off his hips behind square for four. That\u2019s what Sharma was trying to do. Australia have a packed leg side for Pujara as they look to keep him on strike and build pressure with Lyon bowling as close to middle and leg as possible. Lyon switches to over the wicket and Pujara whips it again, this time straight to Handscombe at short leg. If he caught they\u2019d have built a statue of him in Melbourne.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n16th over: India 33-2 (Pujara 11, Kohli 1) <\/strong>Muprhy continues and is targeting a fifth stump line to Kohli who is looking to whip it past mid-on. Murphy has Kohli out three times in as many Tests. What a remarkable stat to start your career. Maiden over this time.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nDamian <\/strong>[no last name given] has been in touch: \u201cBit harsh of Gervase Greene on Cam Green. Ben Stokes only averages 35 and Cam Green has a better bowling average than him.\u201d<\/p>\nCan\u2019t argue with the numbers, I suppose.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n15th over: India 33-2 (Pujara 11, Kohli 1) <\/strong>Nathan Lyon is such a great bowler. I know you all know that but it\u2019s worth repeating. And when you\u2019ve got such a slick operator like that, you\u2019re just as capable as any sub continent team in these conditions. He\u2019s knocked off both openers. That\u2019s the eighth time he\u2019s got Sharma in 10 Tests. Three from that over as Kohli gets off the mark with an on drive from his first ball.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nWICKET! Sharma lbw Lyon 12 (India 32-2)<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n Well, well, well. My first contribution to the OBO this morning is to call a wicket! It\u2019s Lyon\u2019s moment, though as he gets one to skid on from a tricky length. Sharma goes back when perhaps a forward press would have been the better option, but it\u2019s about the length and the skid. Lovely bowling from round the wicket and it crashes into the pads plumb in front. A hopeful review doesn\u2019t save him. Kolhi time.<\/p>\n\nUpdated at 02.32\u00a0EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n14th over: India 30-1 (Sharma 11, Pujara 10) <\/strong>Machine Gun Murphy into the attack to replace Matt Kuhnemann. He starts around the wicket to Pujara and skips in fast and fierce with that rapid right arm whipping it down at 89kph. Pujara dots the first three. The fourth is quicker again (93kph) and zeroed in on Pujara\u2019s leg pad but the wily old Wall digs it out. The last catches an edge but flies wide of backward square. Great first over from the youngster and a good note for me to handover to blog brother Daniel Gallan coming in off the long run-up. Thanks for being with me and enjoy the remains of the day!<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n13th over: India 30-1 (Sharma 11, Pujara 10) <\/strong>Huge appeal here! Lyon reckons he\u2019s ripped one past Pujara and caught the edge but replays show the movement he saw was the natural variation of spin not the human fallibility of snick. Lyon tosses the fourth ball up but too far and too wide and Pujara pounces, hot-stepping to the pitch and pounding through covers for four. Lovely shot! And he takes a single from the last too.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n12th over: India 25-1 (Sharma 11, Pujara 5) <\/strong>Kuhnemann comes again. He\u2019s not finding much term but his action is clean and his accuracy is unerring. He\u2019s testing both batters with every ball. Finally Pujara snaps and steps back to flay him over cover but only for a single. The stroke wasn\u2019t dissimilar to the action that undid Pujara in the first dig so Australia will be encouraged .<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n11th over: India 24-1 (Sharma 11, Pujara 4) <\/strong>Mitchell Starc has returned to the field after treatment on his finger but Usman Khawaja is in the grandstand for some reason, so perhaps Lance Morris or Scott Boland is out there on his behalf? If Lyon keeops tossing up easy singles like the two he\u2019s gifted to Pujara and Sharma so far we may find either substitute in the outfield before too long. Lyon finds his line late to keep it to two runs from the over. India trail by 64 runs.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n10th over: India 22-1 (Sharma 9, Pujara 3) <\/strong>Kuhnemann leaks a run to Rohit Sharma, just his fifth from five overs. Pujara steps back to cut away to third man and pick up two.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n9th over: India 19-1 (Sharma 9, Pujara 1) <\/strong>Virat Kohli is padded up and ready as next-man-in. The King is 39 innings without a century but he\u2019s been a smidge unlucky of late and doesn\u2019t look out of form. Is today his day? It\u2019d be a famous century in conditions like this where every run is an ingot of gold extracted with hard toil from this dusty crater of a strip. Rohit takes a single to give us out first run in 11 balls and Pujara dabs back the last. He has one run from 17 deliveries.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n8th over: India 18-1 (Sharma 8, Pujara 1) <\/strong>Middle and leg, middle and leg. Kuhnemann is nagging away and Pujara is fretful, pushing left and right and middling nothing. Captain Smith has two slips and a fielder at short leg breathing down the batter\u2019s neck but Pujara survives to see out a maiden.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n7th over: India 18-1 (Sharma 8, Pujara 1) <\/strong>India trail by 70 runs but they\u2019re under siege from Australia\u2019s spinners on a wicket packing plenty of wallop. Pujara clips Lyon\u2019s last ball to fine leg to get off the mark.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n6th over: India 16-1 (Sharma 6, Pujara 0) <\/strong>Kuhnemann is back and after Rohit Sharma scoots a single it\u2019ll be Cheteshwar Pujara to face his first deliveries. The Brisbane-born leggie bowled a beautifully accurate spell before lunch, landing it on a penny and extracting bounce and turn to sow doubt in the batter\u2019s mind. Pujara has 19 Test centuries to his name but he hasn\u2019t been at ease all series.<\/p>\n\nUpdated at 01.53\u00a0EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\nWICKET! Gill b. Lyon 5 (India 15-1)<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n Lyon strikes! Gill marched down to the final ball of the over and had a big heave at it across the line but the ball was shorter and slower and Lyon found some rip and skid from this pitch and so the ball scooted through to rattle the furniture. Great start for Australia!<\/p>\n\nUpdated at 01.55\u00a0EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n5th over: India 13-0 (Sharma 5, Gill 4) <\/strong>And we\u2019re back and it will be Nathan Lyon to Shubman Gill who works his third ball away for a single. Mitchell Starc is OFF the ground. Word is his injured finger was badly bleeding going to Lunch and so he\u2019s receiving attention while the replacement Mitchell (Swepson) does his duties in the field. That\u2019d be a big blow for the baggy greeners. But maybe the spinners are all they need?<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nWelcome back to the Lunch session of this Third Test in Indore. It\u2019s a crucial couple of hours for both sides. Can Australia protect their lead with tight bowling and extend their advantage with wickets? Or will India patiently whittle down this chase and then build an unsurpassable lead of their own?<\/p>\n
The pundits are saying if India get 100 ahead Australia will have bowled poorly and will be facing almost certain doom bating last on this Tina turner of a pitch. We\u2019re minutes away from play here but time enough to ponder this email sent by Gervase Greene from the Peoples\u2019 Republic of Clovelly\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cI know he\u2019s only 23 or 24. I know he has the \u2018buy one, get one free\u2019 appeal of all-rounders the world over, and I especially know India is India, and this pitch is exceptionally awkward. (And this dismissal was conventional. He simply missed it). BUT\u2026 after 19 or 20 Tests, Cameron Green has not scored a century, despite often appearing set. And he averages just 35-odd, with a strike rate not much better. Obviously his potential looms massive, but at some point he needs to start delivering.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nLUNCH: India 13-0 (Sharma 5, Gill 4). Australia lead by 75 runs.<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n And that\u2019s Lunch in another frenzied session of Test cricket!<\/p>\n
After Peter Handscomb and Cameron Green put together a patient partnership of 40 runs, Ravi Ashwin (3 for 44) and his mesmeric spin took Australia apart again, with exuberant assistance from paceman Umesh Yadav (3 for 12)\u2026 and this devilish Indore pitch.<\/p>\n
In 34 crazy balls Australia frittered away their last six batters for just 11 runs. Still, they lead by 75 and early signs in the second innings are that batting will not be easy for India. Can Matt Kuhnemann claim another five-for? Will the GOAT get amongst the wickets? Or is it time for Mitchell Starc to give India a shake-up?<\/p>\n
The answers are a hot half-hour away. Oil your neck, fill your belly and we\u2019ll be back with the second session very soon.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n4th over: India 13-0 (Sharma 5, Gill 4) <\/strong>Big rip from Kuhnemann! It pitched on leg and jagged past the Indian skipper to land in Carey\u2019s gloves way outside off. Promising signs for the left-armer already. He\u2019s a calm character and Australia will need his nerve if they\u2019re to skittle what seems like a more patient India. As Kuhnemann rips another past Sharma\u2019s outside edge there\u2019s weird review for a stumping. But the foot is grounded and Australia go to Lunch on a dud note.<\/p>\n\nUpdated at 01.06\u00a0EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n3rd over: India 11-0 (Rohit 4, Gill 2) <\/strong>India trail by 79 runs as Starc strays to leg again and is worked backward of square for a run by the 23-year-old Punjabi batter Gill. Sharm inside edges Starc for another one to keep things ticking over. Starc keeps looking forlornly at his finger but his dander should be up after seeing the carnage Umesh Yadav unleashed with a good spell of fast bowling. India take another single from the last.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n2nd over: India 9-0 (Rohit 3, Gill 2)<\/strong> Matt Kuhnemann takes the new ball (what odds of that sentence two weeks ago?) but the steady leggie with just four Sheffield Shield wickets to his name nabbed a brilliant Test five-for in the first innings and will be Australia\u2019s big hope in this second dig. He\u2019s bang on line from the get-go, holding his line to Gill whose wicket he claimed only yesterday. Gill knows it too, sitting still for five dots before working a single from the last.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n1st over: India 8-0 (Rohit 3, Gill 1)<\/strong> Welcome back. It\u2019s India at the crease, Starc thundering in. Can the surly quick with the dodgy digit conjure another miracle ball first up? No. It is down leg side and four leg byes. Not a good start! The second is also down leg but Carey claws it in with a dive. Singles follow to Sharma and then Shubman Gill before the Indian skipper clips a two. One over down, eight runs on the board and the chase is down to 80.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nAustralia all out 197. India are 88 runs behind.<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n Another day, another Australian collapse. They were so patient in the first hour, notching singles and turning the screws on India who were quietly panicking. But the introduction of Ravi Ashwin\u2019s spin at one end and Umesh Yadav\u2019s pace at the other was the catalyst for Australia\u2019s cataclysm. They lost their nerve, started to swing big and the wickets tumbled \u2013 six down for 11 runs in 29 minutes. Ouch!<\/p>\n\n