India v Australia 4th Test, Day 3 – 5 Talking Points

For the first time in the Test match, Team India absolutely dominated the day for the entire length of 90 overs. The day started with a decision going against Ravindra Jadeja but he reviewed it and the decision was overturned. Jadeja continued his attacking approach and had a 94-run partnership with Wriddhiman Saha that got India the lead. Though they got over the 300-run mark but couldn’t extend it further than 32 runs.

Coming into bowl skipper Ajinkya Rahane trusted both his fast bowlers to do the job with the new ball. Both Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled exceptionally to push the Aussies on the back foot right at the start of the inning. Apart from Glenn Maxwell who scored 45 no other batsman could stand at the crease to make any difference. Australia were bowled out for 137 and the target for India is 105 of which they scored 19 today. They now need 87 runs to win with all the wickets intact.

1. Jadeja-Saha partnership brought India the lead

India resumed day 3 with Saha and Jadeja at the crease batting on 10 and 16 respectively. They still were 52 runs short of the Australian first innings total. While Saha stayed calm and looked to play as much as he could Jadeja, on the other hand, played his shots, against pacers and spinners he got the boundaries and the sixes.

Soon India had a lead, Jadeja got to his half century, the 6th of this season and the swinging Rajputana bat was out again. He hit four boundaries and as many sixes in his knock scoring 63 runs from 95 balls and denied Australia any advantage early in the day. The partnership ended with 317 runs on the board and India were eventually bowled out for 332. Saha scored 31 before walking back as the ninth wicket.

2. Umesh Yadav rattled the Aussies

They had a slender lead but Team India needed early wickets. Rahane threw the ball at Umesh who has done an exceptional job right through the season. He ran in hard and bowled at express pace. The ball was swinging and he despite that he wasn’t reluctant in banging it in. He had Matt Renshaw hopping to a brilliantly bowled bouncer that rattled him completely.

David Warner too had a similar experience against Kumar and was also lucky to be dropped for the second time in the game by the same fielder against the same bowler. Umesh bowled a beauty outside the off-stump and it kissed the outside edge of the bat to land safely in Saha’s gloves. Renshaw survived a few misses as well but his luck ran out and he edged Umesh to Saha once again. Towards the end, he was brought back in and instantly struck to send back Nathan Lyon.

He concluded a brilliant season with a magnificent spell of fast bowling 10 overs with 3 maidens, earned 3 wickets spending 29 runs.

3. Steve Smith’s dismissal

Steve Smith who has been so consistent right through the series crossed the 500-run mark. He got off the mark with a boundary and it was ominous for the Indians who haven’t managed to decode the tactic to get rid of the Aussie skipper. Bhuvneshwar Kumar who hadn’t had the success despite bowling so well finally got the wicket and it was the big one.

The right-hander saw a short pitched delivery and wanted to pull it but the ball didn’t come onto his bat as high as he expected and took the lower edge and uprooted his off-stump. It was a huge wicket for Team India as Smith has been the shield for his batting unit and once he was out the vulnerability was exposed early in the inning.

4. Australian slide

After the top three were dismissed Indian bowlers had the opening and didn’t let the Aussie batsmen off the hook. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who took over from the pacers bowled exceptionally well together and bowled in tandem challenging the batsmen with every ball. Ashwin removed Peter Handscomb who was looking to get in, Shaun Marsh lasted just 6 balls and scored 1 runs before becoming Jadeja’s first scalp.

Maxwell played an attacking knock and hit 6 fours and a six for his 45 but was out lbw against Ashwin. Matthew Wade stayed there but all his partners couldn’t support him. Cummins scored 12 and the last three batsmen Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood were dismissed for ducks. Wade was unbeaten for 25 as Australia’s second inning was wrapped up for 137.

5. India start solid

The target for India is 105 runs and they were off to a really good start. KL Rahul who has been the man in form for India in the series scored 12 runs in the very first over from Cummins. The bowlers didn’t offer anything loose thereafter and both Murali Vijay and Pujara were willing to play out the 6 overs of the day. Rahul is batting on 13 while Vijay has scored 6 and India ended the day with 19 runs on the board and will search for another 87 runs tomorrow to win the Test.