Live Cricket Score, India vs Australia, 1st Test Match Day 3: Kohli, Pujara look to consolidate lead
India vs Australia, 1st Test Match Day 3: Another session which belongs to the Indians and one can say even they are in the driver's seat at the moment. This session began with Kohli and Pujara grinding it out there. The two just like the openers took their time and played themselves in. They stitched an excellent 71-run stand of 197 balls. However, just as the two looked to take the game away from the hosts. Lyon struck and provided some belief to Australia who would have loved another before stumps but Rahane and Pujara ensured there were no more wickets to fall. India lead by 166 runs and would hope to pile on a few more runs on the penultimate day. Here are the Day 3 highlights of the 1st Test. (Click Here for Coverage in Hindi)
Highlights, India vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3 Live from Adelaide
13.52 IST: Last ball of the day and Pujara keeps it out. Fuller length this time and Pujara pushes it towards the point fielder. THAT IS STUMPS AT DAY 4. India lead by 166 runs.
13.49 IST: Rahane dances down the track and strokes it through covers. The fielder there makes a good diving stop. He can't stop the single though. IND 151/3 in 58.3 overs
13.47 IST: In the air... but safe! Once again it is tossed up outside off, Rahane tries to defend but the ball takes the inside edge and lobs just wide of short leg.
* Ajinkya Rahane is the new man in.
13.41 IST: OUT! Australia catch the big fish! Kohli's dismissed! Lyon finally gets the breakthrough. Finally a ball takes an inside edge and goes to hand. The way the Australians celebrate tells you how relieved they are. Another Indian batsman can't make most of the start. This is tossed up outside off, it turns back in sharply, takes the inside edge, hits the pad and lobs to short leg. Finch there takes an easy catch. Lyon removes Kohli for 34. India 147/3 in 57.1 overs
13.36 IST: Another appeal, an ambitious one though. Pujara comes down the track and tries to defend but the ball hits the pads and lobs towards short leg.
13.31 IST: Close. Back of a length by Starc, Kohli goes off his backfoot and tries to flick it towards the leg side but finds a leading edge. Luckily the ball doesn't reach the bowler.
13.20 IST: FOUR! Easy pickings for Virat there. Full outside off, overpitched by Starc and Kohli punches it through the covers for a boundary. There are very few players who play the cover drive as beautifully as Virat.
13.12 IST: Now works it through mid-wicket and gets to the other end. The run also brings the 50-run stand up. A much-needed one as India had lost two quick wickets when the two joined association. They are now strengthening India's hold on the game.
13.10 IST: FOUR! Welcome into the attack Head, says Kohli. Short and on middle, the batsman rocks back and pulls it through square leg for a boundary. IND 132/2 in 49.1 overs
13.04 IST: FOUR! Poor from Pat, bowls it down the leg. Che easily flicks it off through the third man region for a boundary. Pujara will punish those deliveries everyday of the week.
12.54 IST: A little too full outside off, the batsman strokes it through covers for a couple.
12.45 IST: FOUR! Poor ball and it has been put away! Short and outside off, Pujara rocks back and pulls it through square leg for a boundary. IND 112/2 in 43.4 overs
12.36 IST:
12.31 IST: Another beauty! The straighter one outside off, Pujara plays inside the line and gets beaten. Not sure if intentionally played it inside the line or was beaten.
12.26 IST: NOT OUT! That is going over the stumps! Once again Pujara makes excellent use of the review in this game. Lyon can't believe it. However, Pujara could not believe it when he was given out. Coming to the ball now - this was tossed up outside off, Pujara comes down the track but does not get to the pitch of it. He tries to pad it away with his bat behind the pat. An appeal follows and the umpire agrees. Pujara has a baffled look on his face and he reviews immediately. The replays roll in and it shows the ball to be going over. The on-field call has to be overturned. IND 104/2 in 39.3 overs
* Big moment! Pujara has been judged LBW. He has reviewed it. Looks close this one. Remember he has not played a shot.
12.23 IST: Well bowled and well played! This pitches and then shoots off. Kohli plays it well by taking a hand off the handle.
12.21 IST: Slower through the air on off, Pujara who is happy to play Lyon off the back foot, does so again here. Goes back and works it to square leg.
12.10 IST: Risky single! A length ball around off, Pujara dabs it down towards backward point and attempts for a quick single. Kohli responds and puts his head down as he sprints to the other end. Khawaja has a shy at the striker's end but misses. IND 99/0 in 36.1 overs
12.05 IST: OUCH! That must have hurt. Finch ain't showing much though. A firm flick shot by Kohli in front of short leg and it bounces to hit Finch on the neck. That looks painful but after catching his breath back, Aaron is ready to field.
12.04 IST: Catch is the shout... A flat delivery, spinning into the batsman sharply, Kohli tries to work it away but seems to have missed it. The ball loops in the air but drops safely near short leg.
12.01 IST: FOUR! A juicy half-volley on middle and leg, Kohli leans forward and across before flicking it beautifully through mid-wicket for a glorious boundary.
11.58 IST: Beaten! Lovely delivery. Every time he comes on to bowl, he asks tough questions to the batsmen. Accuracy is his main quality. Just puts a length ball around off and gets it to straighten off the seam. Kohli tries to defend but gets beaten.
11.52 IST: Beaten! Lovely delivery. Every time he comes on to bowl, he asks tough questions to the batsmen. Accuracy is his main quality. Just puts a length ball around off and gets it to straighten off the seam. Kohli tries to defend but gets beaten.
* We're back for the last session. 32 overs left in the day's play. The players are back on the field. Nathan Lyon to continue from this end. Here we go...
11.30 IST:
11.29 IST: India 250 & 86/2 at Tea against Australia (235), lead by 101 runs in Adelaide. Rahul 44, Hazlewood 1/18
11.24 IST: Once again uses his feet and then flicks it towards square leg for a quick run. The lead is now 100. IND 85/2 in 28 overs
11.16 IST: FOUR LEG BYES! A poor delivery to bowl first up! On the pads, Kolhi though misses the flick, the ball brushes the pads and races to the fine leg fence.
11.10 IST: OUT! There goes another one! Rahul throws away the start and Australia slowly creeping back into the game. This is on a length and around off, Rahul goes for the lofted cover drive. The ball though was not full enough. It takes the outside edge and settles into the mitts of Paine. Hazlewood removes Rahul for 44. India 76/2 in 24.2 overs
11.06 IST: NOT OUT! Nothing on the Hot Spot. Nothing on the Snicko. The decision is overruled. Pujara is safe! Good decision taken by the batsmen. A flatter off spinner outside off, turning back in just a hint. Pujara stays back to play inside the line but seems to have missed it. Paine though collects the ball, puts in an appeal and the umpire raises his finger. Pujara looks down for a moment and then goes for the DRS. The replays roll in and Che survives. Good use of the technology. That was a great delivery, to be honest. The length was such that Pujara was in two minds with his footwork.
* Shout for a caught behind! The finger has gone up. Pujara immediately reviews it.
10.53 IST: FOUR! Don't bowl there to him. He might come across as a defensive batsman but that's too short to demand any respect. Plenty of width there and Pujara cracks it off his back foot through point. IND 73/1 in 20.2 overs
10.49 IST: In the air... but in the gap! Pujara comes down the track and tries to flick. The ball though holds up a little, goes off the higher portion and uppishly towards wide mid on for a run.
* Cheteshwar Pujara, the hero of the first innings, is the next man in.
10.41 IST: OUT! Starc strikes! Australia draw first blood. A much-needed wicket as this partnership was really starting to flourish. A similar way to how Vijay got out to Strac. It is full and outside off, the sucker ball. Vijay is sucked into the drive away from his body. The ball takes the outside edge and goes towards second slip where Handscomb takes a nice catch. Starc removes Vijay for 18. IND 63/1 in 18.2 overs
10.29 IST:
10.28 IST: Floats it up outside off, Rahul tries to defend but the ball goes off the inner half towards square leg for a single. IND 56/0 in 15.1 overs
10.25 IST: FOUR! Beautiful, just beautiful. Full and in the zone of Rahul. He strokes it through covers and the ball races away to the fence. He looks delightful when he plays through the off side. Also the fifty is up for India, first 50-partnership between the two away from home. Ideal start provided by the openers. IND 50/0 in 15 overs
10.18 IST: SIX! How good was that? Wow! Take that, says Rahul to Cummins. Full and outside off, Lokesh deliberately plays the lofted square drive. The timing is such that it carries over the point fence. IND 46/0 in 14.3 overs
10.15 IST: Uppish but well short! On a length and around off, Vijay goes at it with hard hands. The ball hits the higher portion of the bat and it is uppish for a while but lands well short of mid off.
* Nathan Lyon is seen warming up
10.13 IST: Rahul seems to have lost his shape on that shot but still gets runs off it. This is fuller and on off, Rahul goes for another expansive drive with no foot movement. It goes off the inner half through mid-wicket a couple is taken.
10.09 IST: Rahul seems to have lost his shape on that shot but still gets runs off it. This is fuller and on off, Rahul goes for another expansive drive with no foot movement. It goes off the inner half through mid-wicket a couple is taken. IND 35/0 in 12 overs
10.07 IST: FOUR! Streaky! They say if you go for the cut, you should go hard and that is exactly what Rahul does here. Slashes at the ball which is short and outside off, he gets an outside edge over the slip cordon and into the third man fence. IND 29/0 in 11.4 overs
10.01 IST: FOUR! Authoritative shot! Nothing much wrong with the delivery, it is slightly full and on off, Rahul plays the lofted cover drive and it races to the fence. First boundary off the bat.
09.58 IST: Aahhh...spoke a little too soon! Rahul goes after a length delivery outside off, almost like running out of patience. He drives it in the air but luckily for him it goes safely through the gap at covers. Travis Head chases it and pulls it back just before the rope. Three taken.
09.49 IST: FOUR LEG BYES! Poor delivery! Down the leg side, Rahul misses the flick and it brushes the pads and goes fine to the fence. IND 8/0 in 7.2 overs
09.40 IST: Goes for the big booming inswinger. The line though is a little too straight. Vijay tries to flick but misses to get hit on the pads. An appeal follows but the umpire turns it down. Going down leg.
09.32 IST: Outside off, left alone. So this is a more watchful innings by the Indian openers so far. They were quite content to go after the deliveries outside off in the first innings. This time though are opting to leave it. IND 4/0 in 4 overs
09.24 IST: Well left again! Once again it is angled in first and then gets it to shape away. Rahul covers his off stump and lets it be.
09.21 IST: Josh Hazlewood to bowl from the other end.
09.18 IST: A snorter there! Short and right on the body of the batsman. Vijay takes his eyes off the ball as he tries to defend. Luckily for Vijay it dies onto the ground after hitting his glove.
09.15 IST: And we're underway with India's second innings. Murali Vijay and KL Rahul are out to bat. Mitchell Starc handed the new ball. The wicket promises to be deadly. Let's get started.
08.55 IST: UPDATE! It will be a delayed start to this session as tweeted by Cricket Australia. Although the good news is that the covers are starting to come off. Stay tuned.
08.45 IST: It is pelting down out there. We though still have time for Lunch to get over. Let us hope it passes away and we resume on time.
08.40 IST: Tim Paine is seen arguing with the officials. Maybe, he's expressing his disappointment. Australia kept on batting under the drizzle and when it's India's turn, they have decided to go off. The visitors won't complain.
* LUNCH HAS BEEN TAKEN
08.15 IST: Hang on! The players were out in the middle and then the umpires decided to go off for Lunch. Tim Paine is seeing arguing with the officials. Maybe, he was expressing his disappointment. Australia kept on batting under the drizzle and when it's India's turn, they have decided to go off.
08.10 IST: So, finally India have managed to bowl out Australia but not before they reduced the deficit down to 15 runs. The 31-run stand between Travis Head and Nathan Lyon was the need of the hour for the Aussies and they won't be too disappointed at the moment. A word of praise Head. He played a beautiful patient knock to equal his best Test score and proved that his Test saving innings in Dubai wasn't an aberration.
08.06 IST: OUT! India have the lead! Shami takes two in two. Another loose shot. It is short and outside off, Hazlewood throws his bat at it, gets an outside edge and Pant behind does the rest. AUSTRALIA HAVE BEEN BOWLED OUT FOR 235!
08.01 IST: OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! Shami gets the well-set Travis Head. He does not surpass his highest score. But a very important knock by him comes to an end. Shami bowls it outside off and it is on a length. Head maybe should have left the delivery but he ends up feeling for it away from his body. The ball takes the outside edge and goes into the hands of Pant who accepts it. The Indians are ecstatic and the bowling change has worked. Australia are still 15 away and have one wicket in hand. Australia 235/9 in 98.3 overs
07.57 IST: FOUR! Lyon brings out the shot which he loves the most, the sweep shot. Does not get it off the middle as it flies off the top edge to the fine leg fence. The trail is only 25 now. AUS 225/8 in 97.2 overs
* Ravichandran Ashwin is on.
07.49 IST: Back of a length around middle, Lyon nudges it towards mid-wicket. He has played the balls bowled on the stumps well, it is only the balls bowled outside off which he has to stop fetching. AUS 221/8 in 97 overs
07.45 IST: OHHH! This one pitches and then moves away from around off, Lyon goes for a loose drive but gets beaten. Head does the right thing by walking upto him and having a word with the offie.
07.38 IST: EDGY FOUR! First boundary of the day and these are handy runs for Australia. Trail below 40 now. Good length around off, Lyon tries to defend but the ball takes an outside edge and goes down to the vacant third man region. Boundary. AUS 210/8 in 93.3 overs
07.36 IST: BEATEN! Lyon once again hangs his bat out to a delivery he can leave. The ball though whizzes past the outside edge.
07.35 IST: Top shot but it still does not get to the boundary. Deserved four that one. Full and on off, Lyon drives it square on the off side. Ashwin gives it a chase, the ball slows down as it nears the ropes. Three taken.
07.28 IST: We are back after the delay! Nathan Lyon is the new batsman, he will be on strike and Bumrah has 2 balls to go in this over. Here we go...
07.10 IST: Play to begin in 16 minutes and Lunch to be taken at 1.30 pm local. So we will have an hour of play in this session, weather permitting that is.
07.05 IST:
06.53 IST: We really got too hopeful after watching the covers getting dragged off. The rain has returned. Seems it's going to be a stop-start day. Really annoying.
06.35 IST: And with that wicket, the heavens have opened up yet again. Nathan Lyon was about to come out but the umpires have decided to call for covers. The players head out to the pavilion. It's been that kind of a morning.
06.34 IST: OUT! Spot on bowling, Bumrah. Great execution, it's wider, it's fuller and Starc falls for it. He provides width and Starc's eyes lit up. The Australian number 9 tries to go big, swings his bat hard but only manages a thick outside edge behind to Pant. The Indians are celebrating. Early success for them. Starc must be disappointed, he has the ability to bat and just needed to partner Head there. The deficit is 46 runs and any lead for the tourists on this surface will be handy. Bumrah removes Starc for 15. Australia 204/7 in 91.3 overs
06.29 IST: 200 up for Australia! Australia just 50 shy now! On the pads, Starc fails to flick, the ball hits his pads and rolls towards square leg for a leg bye. AUS 200/7 in 90.5 overs
06.21 IST: First runs for today! A confident stroke that! It is a length ball around off, Starc punches it on the up past the diving fielder at mid off. The outfield ain't that fast though so the ball does not get to the boundary. Three taken.
06.16 IST: Ishant Sharma to start the proceedings for India. It is cloudy here and that just might aid the bowlers. Let us see if there is some swing available.
06.14 IST: We are all set for the game to begin! The players make their way out along with the umpires. The Aussie batsmen, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc will resume their innings.
06.13 IST:
06.03 IST: The Covers are off! Its still cloudy and can expect rain to interrupt play, but we will witness plenty of action today.
05.48 IST: Travis Head, the local lad, will have to do the bulk of the scoring and the home side will hope, the tail can hang around with him. The 'moving day' should probably give us a fair idea to which way the match is heading.
05.35 IST: Coming to how the game is poised - the visitors have their noses in front, by not a lot though. They would look to bundle the home side out quickly and hope for a decent lead. The hosts on the other hand, would like to get as close as possible first and then try to surpass the Indian total.
05.30 IST: Good News! Rain has stopped and we can expect play soon.
05.14 IST:
05.00 IST:
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the opening Test of the four-match series between two fierce rivals. Play is expected to resume from 5.30 AM IST, however, Adelaide is currently experiencing rain. Covers are currently on. But today is expected to be a cracker of a day as it may determine the outcome of the match. Stay tuned for all live updates, live scores and ball by ball commentary.
Match Day 2 brief report- India had the slight edge in a sedately-paced battle of attrition after senior off-spinner R Ashwin cleaned up the Australian top-order and a meticulous pace effort kept the home team's scoring in check on the second day of the opening Test. Travis Head (61 batting) and Pat Cummins (10) kept Australia in the game with a 50-run partnership in the last session but India walked away with the advantage after the latter fell towards the end of day's play. At stumps, Australia were 191/7 in 88 overs with Ashwin being their primary tormentor, securing figures of 3/50 in 33 overs. He was aided well by the pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah (2/34) and Ishant Sharma (2/31). (Read Full Match Day 3 report here)
