Mohali, Mar 16: One run was all that separated Mitchell Starc from becoming the first number nine Australian batsman to notch up a century in India, as the visitors posted a competitive 408 all out in the third and penultimate Test here today.
Though he missed out on the hundred by a whisker, Starc, along with Steven Smith (92), did enough to frustrate the Indians, helping Australia add 135 runs in the first session of play before Ravichandran Ashwin trapped last-man Xavier Doherty (5).
The Indians scored three runs from the one over they faced before lunch with Murali Vijay scoring all of them and Shikhar Dhawan yet to open his account.
Starc was caught-behind on 99 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Ishant Sharma, which also dashed his hopes of becoming the first Australian in 66 years to score a century while batting at number nine.
Another record tumbled on the day was Starc and Steven Smith's 97-run association for the eighth wicket which surpassed the previous best of 73 between Shane Watson and Brett Lee for this wicket at this ground.
Starc was the more aggressive of the two.
Starc smashed 14 fours and faced 144 balls during his 146-minute stay at the crease. The 23-year-old left-hander from New South Wales was equal to the task whether it was about facing pacers or the spinners.
Making a sort of a lucky comeback to the Test squad after more than two years in wilderness, Smith made it count with a career-best score that included 10 boundaries and a six.
Heoccupied the crease for 235 minutes and faced 185 balls.
A well-deserved century in sight, Smith became a victim of a viciously turning delivery from Pragyan Ojha and an equally good work by Indian skipper Dhoni, who stumped the batsman in a flash.
