ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Ajinkya Rahane batted through an extended fourth morning session against a flagging Australia attack as India tightened its grip on the first cricket test in Adelaide on Sunday.
India reached lunch at 260 for five in its second innings, an overall lead of 275 runs. Rahane was unbeaten on 57 and Rishabh Pant 10 not out.
India added 109 runs in the 34-over first session.
Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara shared an 87-run fourth-wicket partnership, the highest of the match. Pujara fell 30 minutes before lunch when he gloved spinner Nathan Lyon to short-leg.
He made 71 off 204 balls, following on in fine style from his first innings century.
Lyon then dismissed struggling No.6 Rohit Sharma for one run, and went to lunch with 3-92 from 36 overs.
Play started 30 minutes early after 16 overs were lost to rain on day three. India resumed at 151 for three, with Pujara on 40 not out and Rahane on one run.
Lyon came on 20 minutes into the day's play after quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were non-penetrating. With footmarks to aim at, the offspinner troubled the batsmen without luck.
He had Rahane caught at short-leg on 18 but the decision was reversed on review. Lyon had two decisions against Pujara overturned on day three.
Rahane used his feet against Lyon to negate the spin from the footmarks, cracking several cover drives. He reached his half-century with a pull shot to the boundary off Hazlewood.
Australia took the new ball immediately but were blunted. An out-of-form Starc failed to produce swing and bowled waywardly down the leg-side. Pat Cummins failed to threaten with short-pitched bowling.
After scoring 123 runs in India's first innings, Pujara remained solid in defense and pounced on loose deliveries. Shortly before his dismissal, he received medical attention after clutching at his right hamstring.
Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
