The 3rd Test between India and Australia had started with the host needing a win to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, however, it ended with the Aussies sealing their spot instead.
India, who retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023, lost by 9 wickets in Indore.
The 3rd Test saw almost none of the Indian batters perform in the 1st innings despite winning the toss and opting to bat first. The Australian bowers put pressure on India from the start and it was seen throughout the game.
Australia began Day 3 of the third Test needing just 76 runs and India 10 wickets. R Ashwin gave some hope when he removed the in-form Khawaja off the second ball of the day.
However, Head and Labuschagne got the game rolling as they did not play a single aggressive shot. The ball was changed so was India's firtunes as it all went in favour of the Aussies. There was a message from the Australian dressing room and the batting pair started to play a different game. Head got a flurry of boundaries which broke India's fight.
This Test game had started with India needing a win to qualify for the WTC final but has ended with Australia sealing their spot instead.
A maiden wicket for R Ashwin. This was a needed wicket as Khawaja has been the highest run-scorer for the Aussies.
The ball turns away as Khawaja went forward to defend. However, the ball goes through to the keeper and Khawaja is given out caught-behind.
He went for a review, but UltraEdge showed there's a clear spike and Ashwin has struck with his second ball to give India some belief.
Khawaja c Srikar Bharat b Ashwin 0(2)
Axar Patel remains unbeaten, but had no players to support him as India 163 all-out. This has left Australia with a target of 76.
Best figures by a visiting bowler in India:
10/119 Ajaz Patel Mumbai WS 2021/22
8/50 Nathan Lyon Bengaluru 2016/17
8/64 Lance Klusener Kolkata 1996/97
8/64 Nathan Lyon Indore 2022/23 *
Virat Kohli 13
Ravindra Jadeja 7
Shreyas Iyer 26
KS Bharat 3
R Ashwin 16
Cheteshwar Pujar 59
Umesh Yadav 0
Huge appeal by the Aussies and the finger goes up. The Indian skipper goes for a review, but it's a waste.
Rohit Sharma lbw b Lyon 12(33)
Lyon strikes in the first over and Gill plays tries to take him on. He swings hard on the onside but misses and is bowled.
Shubham Gill b Lyon 5(15)
R Ashwin and Umesh Yadav take the final wickets for India.
Australia have lost their last six wickets for 11 and now a 88-run lead.
Umesh Yadav has his 100th wicket in India. It was a peach and Starc was playing for the original line, but the ball beats the outside edge, crashing into the top of off-stump.
Starc b Umesh Yadav 1(3)
Needed wicket and Umesh Yadav delivers. The ball strikes Green on the back pad and he was right in front of the stumps. Umpire Joel Wilson took his time but did raise his finger. Green goes for a review and ball-tracking showed the ball just brushing the top of leg-stump.
India have two wickets in quick succession.
Green lbw b Umesh Yadav 21(57) [4s-2]
R Ashwin gets his 1st wicket, India's first wicket on Day 2. He ends Handscomb's resistance, who lunged forward to defend but the ball spun in sharply, taking the inside edge. The ball flies to Shreyas Iyer at short leg who uses his body to catch it.
Handscomb c Shreyas Iyer b Ashwin 19(98) [4s-1]
Today was Australia's day with the bat and the ball.
They now have a 47-run lead and have lost just 4 wickets.
Jadeja does it again as he gets his and India's 4th wicket. The ball turns and bites, and takes the edge while Smith was playing for the straight one. A thin edge and KS Bharat takes a good catch.
Smith c Srikar Bharat b Jadeja 26(38) [4s-4]
Only batter who got good runs on this pitch - Khawaja - gave away his wicket. He went for the sweep but it was not in control. It takes a thick top-edge as Khawaja holes out in the deep where Gill takes a very good catch.
Khawaja c Shubman Gill b Jadeja 60(147) [4s-4]
Ravindra Jadeja breaks the partnership. He has troubled Labuschagne in the post-tea session and beat the bat at least five times so far. The ball sneaks past the inside edge of Labuschagne and rattles the stumps.
Labuschagne b Jadeja 31(91) [4s-1]
Fifty number 21 for Usman Khawaja. He alongwith Marnus Labuschagne have brought up 100 for Australia.
Umpire Wilson ruled it not out and India went for a review. Head tried to defend off the back foot but the ball turned and he was trapped right in front of middle. Review showed the ball pitching in line, hitting in front of middle, and crashing into middle.
Head lbw b Jadeja 9(6) [4s-1]
Surely not what India wanted after they won the toss and opted to bat first. Looking at the scorecard, Virat Kohli's 22 was the hightest run scored by any Indian batter.
Shubman Gill (21), Srikar Bharat (17), Umesh Yadav (17), Rohit Sharma (12) and Axar Patel (12*) were the other batters who added scores to the small total.
1 run completed, but Axar Patel wanted two and Siraj was not prepared for it. He's run out by yards at the bowler's end.
Siraj run out (Lyon) 0(4)
The finger goes up for LBW and Umesh Yadav just walks off. This led to Matthew Kuhnemann getting his first five-wicket haul.
Umesh Yadav lbw b Kuhnemann 17(13) [4s-1 6s-2]
There was a nick and there is a loud noise as the ball passes the bat, but it was not given out. Carey, who had also taken the bails off and it was sent upstairs to check for a stumping.
Going for a review, it also checked for the edge and it showed a big spike.
Ashwin c Carey b Kuhnemann 3(12)
Day 1 of the 3rd Test is surely going India's way. Another batter, who looked to go on nicely saw Lyon come in an bowl and send him back. Bharat was on the front foot and tried to push it straight with bat close to pad. Australia, who were confident, went for a review and got in their favour.
Srikar Bharat lbw b Lyon 17(30) [4s-1 6s-1]
Big, big wicket. India were trying to rebuild a partnership but Todd Murphy came in and got Virat Kohli out. Kohli looked really settled, but Murphy kept on targetting the stumps.
The ball spins just enough from off to be crashing into leg stump. Kohli knew he is out, but took his chance on the review.
Kohli lbw b Murphy 22(52) [4s-2]
Australia are surely celebrating. Another batter departs while trying to force it off the back foot. Iyer decided to play the cut, but the ball kisses the under-edge of stumps and then hits Carey on the pad.
Shreyas Iyer b Kuhnemann 0(2)
Was just saved on the previous ball for a LBW, but Jadeja gifted his wicket to the Aussies in the very next delivery. Jadeja hits the ball thinking he has a boundary scoring opportunity and goes for the cut. But the ball lands in Kunhemann's hands at cover.
Jadeja c Kuhnemann b Lyon 4(9)
The way this game has begun, look like it will end in 3 days as well. the third wicket falls for India. Nathan Lyon drops it short and Pujara tried to play it off the back foot. But he goes deep in the crease and the ball stays low and turns and crashes into middle-stump.
Pujara b Lyon 1(4)
Second wicket in three balls for Matthew Kuhnemann. It was a slower ball and it draws Gill forward. The ball turns away and catches the outside edge and Smith takes a simple catch at slip.
Shubman Gill c Smith b Kuhnemann 21(18) [4s-3]
Rohit Sharma, who is the in-form batter for India was lucky today as he was saved twice in the very first over of the game. But Australia will be relieved now as he is stumped after he shimmies down to have a go but is deceived in flight. The ball dips and lands in the hands of Carey who does the rest.
Rohit st Carey b Kuhnemann 12(23) [4s-3]
India have made two changes - Gill comes in place of KL. We have rested Shami and Umesh comes in.
The Aussies have also had some forced changes.
Squads:
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat(w), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Australia (Playing XI): Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Peter Handscomb, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann
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