Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne with teammates after winning the 3rd test cricket match between India and Australia, at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, Friday, March 3, 2023. Australia won the match by 9 wickets. (PTI)IND vs AUS 3rd Test Day 3 Highlights: Australia recorded an emphatic nine-wicket victory over India, winding up the third Test in little over two days to secure their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final on a rank turner on Friday. Travis Head (49) and Marnus Labuschagne (28) took the visitors past the finish line after they lost Usman Khawaja (0) in the very first over.
The hosts were bowled out for 163 in their second innings, leaving Australia with a target of just 76 runs to record an immensely satisfying win after being hammered inside three days in the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
One of the biggest architects of the Australian win is seasoned off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who grabbed eight wickets in the Indian second innings on day two of the match at Holkar Stadium.
This is only India’s third loss in Tests at home in the last 10 years. Bowled out for 109 in their first innings, India did well to limit Australia to 197, conceding an 88-run lead. However, the Indian batters also failed to put up a fight in their second essay, as Lyon spun a web around them to return excellent figures of 8-64.
India are leading the four-match series 2-1 after having won in Nagpur and New Delhi.
Brief scores
India: 109 and 163
Australia: 197 and 78 for 1 in 18.5 overs (Travis Head 49 not out)
India
109 (33.2) & 163 (60.3)Australia
197 (76.3) & 78/1 (18.5)Australia beat India by 9 wickets
Indian cricketers Virat Kohli, Umesh Yadav, Axar Patel and others during the 2nd day of the 3rd test cricket match between India and Australia, at Holkar Cricket Stadium, in Indore, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)
India’s nine-wicket loss at Nagpur has made Rohit Sharma & Co’s path to the World Test Championship final a bit complicated. Now India have to win the fourth and final Test at Ahmedabad where as Australia have confirmed their spot in the WTC final to be played at the Oval in the first week of June.
How can India qualify?
A win in Ahmedabad is enough for India to qualify. While a loss or even a draw would take the fate away from their own hands and have to rely on New Zealand to qualify. Sri Lanka is the only other team that can qualify for the WTC final at India’s expense. In case India loses or draws the Ahmedabad Test, then New Zealand should either beat or draw Sri Lanka in at least one of the two Tests.
India finishes the series 2-1 and Sri Lanka wins 2-0 in NZ
In this case, Sri Lanka would go through. So the ideal scenario for India is to win the series 3-1 and go through to the final without any help. But even if India are not able to do that, they can breathe a bit easy as New Zealand enjoy a good record in home conditions, having held England to a 1-1 draw recently. For Sri Lanka to win 2-0 is not going to be easy, especially given their recent Test performances.
Nathan Lyon: "It has been a pretty remarkable Test series. But to come out here and put a really good team performance that is something I am really proud about. Today to see the boys get there one down is pretty special. I don't have all the tricks or all the trades in the game but one thing I do have is belief in my stock ball and that is the biggest thing in world cricket, if you believe in your best ball then you can challenge the best players in the world for longer periods of time. I don't think I have mastered it (bowling to Indian batters), I have been lucky enough to get some of the best players like Virat and Pujara and the others, I just love challenging myself at this level and get a big thrill out of that."
Steve Smith: "I think obviously that first day, losing the toss and having to bowl first. But our bowlers did really well, specially Kuhnemann. All our bowlers contributed. With the bat, Usman was really good in the first innings. We had some good partnerships. India bowled really well in the back end, we had a bit of a collapse. We had to toil hard yesterday, Pujji played a good knock, but all our bowlers did really well. It was a complete performance in the end. We are thinking of Patty back home, our thoughts are with him. But I really enjoyed this week. I like captaining in this part of the world. I think I understand a lot of the intricacies. It's a place where I really enjoy and I think I did a reasonable job this week. The approach will be much the same. We have to see how the conditions are like. It's good to be in the WTC final but it's just about playing good cricket. Hopefully we can finish the series well."
Rohit Sharma: "When you lose a Test match, there's a lot of things that didn't go our way. To start with, we didn't bat well in the first innings. We understand how important it is to put runs on the board in the first innings. And obviously when they got a 80-90 run lead, we needed to put in a big performance with the bat but we couldn't do that, taking just a 75-run lead. Honestly, we haven't thought about it yet (Ahmedabad Test conditions ahead of WTC Final). We just finished this Test now so we need to regroup and try. We need to understand that we need to improve as a team. When you are playing on challenging pitches you have to bowl. We allowed their bowlers to bowl in one spot. Not to take any credit away from their bowlers, Nathan Lyon especially. We had to try and be brave, which I think we were not. We can take a lot of credit as well, how we batted in the first two games. One odd game can happen where things don't come together, but even then you need players to come together and chip in. We wanted a few guys to stand up but it didn't happen. We were slightly behind and we did not apply ourselves the way we would have liked to."
India-Australia Test series and the team trailing changing captain midway and winning one back. It's become bit of a thing now. India went on to claim one of their most famous wins in 2020/21 under Ajinkya Rahane. With Steve Smith having taken over from Pat Cummins after 2-0 in the first two Tests, Australia have pulled one back in the four-match series in Indore. 2-1 it is, and even though the hosts have retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the visitors have the opportunity to make it 2-2 in Ahmedabad. And taking the centre stage is the stand in captain, who was stripped off the role back in 2018 following the infamous sandpapergate saga. This'd do him, the skipper loads of good.
Travis Head: "I just tried to take it one step a time. We have seen it throughout the series that with the ball, anything can happen. It's just nice to contribute. Make sure to go out and execute in the first innings. In the lead up to the test series, we had to make sure to be clear in our plans. We had to make some changes, but I think we've done a fantastic job to come back after being under pressure in the first two games. We knew it wasn't going to be clean sailing. There were going to be times when India were going to be on top, times when we could get the runs. It was important that we just kept a calm head. There was no message coming from the top. Unbelievable (on Nathan Lyon). He does what he does. He has the most wickets in the subcontinent for an Australian bowler. Long may he continue."
India can look back at a lot of things that went wrong for them but batting will always come first. Right from that first innings. The horizontal shots early on turning wickets has done them on multiple occasions in the series so far. Even in the first two Tests they won. The top order, minus a Rohit Sharma century and a Cheteshwar Pujara fifty, has been largely woeful. Having won the toss and opting to bat first, 109 in the first innings was always going to be a little too less to have some skin in the game and another collapse on day two didn't help them.
Does this mean now that India's plan of prepping up a green top has gone out the window? The result in Indore will surely have its bearings on the same.
Travis Head comes down the track and smashes Ashwin for four. Labuschange had hinted that he wanted to finish this earlier in the over and finish he does with a boundary at midwicket. A nine wicket win for Australia. One of their famous ones in India. And they have now pulled one back in the series. 2-1 it is going into Ahmedabad.
Marnus Labuschagne, standing deep in his crease anticipating a short one, swivels around and pulls one to backward square leg for four. A shot that exuded of the confidence in the middle. Just seven needed for Australia to win now. 69/1 after 18.
Ashwin puts a halt at the five over boundary streak but still a handy over for Australia. Three come off it. As easy as they come. There's no looking back now. For the hosts, for sure. A target of 76 was going to take something incredible from Indian bowlers to turn the game around. And it hasn't happened for them today since that early wicket. 64/1 after 17 overs.
A flurry of boundaries have forced India to make a bowling change. Umesh Yadav replaces Ravindra Jadeja. It makes little different to the streak. Head finds gap through covers for another four. Now in his 40s. This'd be a famous fifty to go by his briliant standards. It'd be one famous win for Australia and he has the opportunity to round it up. 61/1 after 16 overs. 15 needed to win.
This has gone away from India pretty quickly. Almost like a switch to another format after that 10th over. Fractionally short from Ashwin and Head charges at it with a crunch through covers for four. Labuschagne then reverse sweepes another for four. Fifty partnership up and there's little left to play for now. 56/1, 20 needed to win.
Mighty impressive counter attack from Travis Head. Ppens the face of the bat and places a back cut through backward point for another four. It did spin in but wasn't that sharp and the back cut looked pretty late but was timed to perfection. All the signs of confidence and ease in the middle for Australia. 45/1 after 14 overs. 31 more needed to win.
The boundaries continue to come for Australia after an nervous start. Fifth off the last three overs. Labuschagne drives one outside off for four. Ashwin has had difficulties dealing with the change of ball after the 10th over and has looked unhappy since. Australia on the other hand are now just 36 runs away. 40/1 after 13.
Another couple of boundaries and Australia just 41 runs away from the win. Head hammers one over Jadeja and down the ground for four. Labuschagne sweeps another at midwicket for the same. 35/1 after 12 overs.
Travis Head seemed to have been off strike for ages now. Especially owing to that pause featuring Labuschagne and Ashwin. And he finds a four and a SIX. Makes room for himself outside leg before whacking one over mid on for a four. It was tossed up and on the middle. Later in the over, Ashwin fetches him a fuller one, the southpaw clobbers it beyond the ropes. 13 runs had come in the 10 overs before this one. 13 come off this one. 26/1 after 11.
Side note, Ashwin isn't happy with the change of ball and has a conversation with the on field umpires. Loads of conversation between the bowler and the captain alongwith the umpires.
"Line mai hi thi," blurts out India wicketkeeper KS Bharat as Jadeja brings one from just outside the leg stump to turn back in on the middle against Labuschagne. Bit of a discussion between Rohit Sharma and the keeper alongwith the rest of close in fielders. Jadeja doesn't look that interested. Pitching outside leg, ideally. It kept low and would've definitely crashed into the middle. 13/1 after 10 overs.
IT'S A LITTLE HOT IN THE MIDDLE! Mind games being played at best in the middle. Marnus Labuschagne makes Ravichandran Ashwin wait a good minute ahead of his fifth delivery. Umpire Joel Wilson goes on to have a conversation with the batter, as does India captain Rohit Sharma. Then Ashwin takes a long run up ahead of the same delivery. A block and a single follow as the visitors accumulate another two runs from the over. 13/1 after nine.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri has seen some low scores being defended by Indian bowlers during his time with the team. Not as low as this though. "The one positive Australia have from this morning is that they've already gotten 15 percent of the runs," he mentions on comms.
Labuschagne has looked good so far in his front foot defense off both, Ashwin and Jadeja. Off the backfoot, there was that notable miss off Jadeja, the one that turned away sharply. A single comes off Jadeja's fourth over. 11/1 after eight overs.
Claps reverberating around the venue in unison as Ashwin comes in to bowl a delivery. Every delivery off his fourth over. The fourth, from over the wicket, turns away from Labuschagne and Virat Kohli collects it at leg slip. Thinks there's an edge. India go for DRS but there's a 'yawning' gap between the bat and the ball as suggest Murali Karthik on air. Another maiden from Ashwin. Australia, 10/1 after seven overs.
Ravindra Jadeja gets one to turn and explode quickly off the surface against Labuschagne. India would've loved another 30-40 runs on the board to have the three figure pschological advantage. The surface clearly has a lot to offer. "The last 20-25 runs will come like a breeze," says Dinesh Karthik on comms. "Whereas if you lose wickets, every run will look like a mountain." For now Australia have a leg bye and another single added on the board. 10/1 after six overs.
Every run counts. Even seven runs after losing that wicket on the second delivery of the day will give Australia loads of confidence, for there are only 76 to be chased.
Ashwin keeps it tight, takes an edge and a shulder deflection off Travis Head, gives a crooked smile and gives away his first run of the morning. Off his three. 8/1 after five overs.
Jadeja comes round the wicket to the left hander, Travis Head and is now angling the delivery away and bringing it in after pitching. Bowling in the rough. To Labuschagne, he sticks to over the wicket and takes an edge but doesn't carry to the second slip. 7/1 after four overs.
Travis Head almost, almost puts a nick on one outside the off stump, collected behind by KS Bharat. Ashwin has looked venomous early on day three. Turning it away from the southpaw, as he did against Khawaja in that first over. Another maiden from him. 5/1 after three overs.
Ravindra Jadeja comes in from the other end. Lots of discussions between him, Ashwin and India skipper Rohit Sharma out in the middle. That first wicket has ensued chaos early in the morning.
Australia get off the mark with Travis Head just placing the ball to deep midwicket. Labuschagne cuts the left arm orthodox for the first boundary of the day. Makes room outside the leg stump to execute it. 5/1 after two overs.
Ashwin strikes early. Turns one away from Usman Khawaja and Australia are one down on the second ball of the day. The soft signal was out but Khawaja went for a review. Clear spike as the ball passes through the bat.
Marnus Labuschagne comes in and blocks his first four balls. Australia 0/1 after the first over on day three.
Ravichandran Ashwin has the new ball. It'll probably be Jadeja from the other end. Two left handers, this would be spicy. Day three, here we go!
Nathan Lyon's targetted the stumps more often than not to pick an 8-fer in the second innings, the best spell of the series so far. Whilst India have three different spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, they'll know the region they've got to target if they are to pull off a remarkable result. A crucial hour or so reckons.
Right then, the big huddles are done with. 76 is the target. 14 wickets fell on day one. 16 on day two. Can India pick 10 on day three? A job on their hands. It won't be easy for Australian batters given the surface that has been at play in Indore but as Usman Khawaja and Travis Head walk into the middle, the visitors look set to make it 2-1 in the series.
India have just the 76 runs to defend on day three morning. The lowest target defended in this country is 107, in that famous meeting between the hosts and their current visitors at the Wankhede Stadium in 2004. They sure have the resources to pull off a wonder of a result even though Australia sure start as favorites.
While on commentary, former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden said, ”It’s an absolute desert. It is so dry. No way spinners should come to bowl in the sixth over. This is the reason I don’t like these kinds of surfaces. It shouldn’t be keeping this low and turning so much on Day 1. It doesn’t matter whether Australia wins this Test or India. These kinds of surfaces are not good for Test cricket.”
“I cannot believe a player of his class has gone that long without a hundred,” former Test batter Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket. “He’s been in good touch recently, he’s batted well in one-day cricket. I know it’s not Test match cricket, but the signs have been there in his last three innings in Test cricket that he’s actually playing pretty well. [Read more]
Umesh Yadav made the stumps cartwheel twice on day two of the third Test, while also completing 100 Test wickets at home, and it was a sight for sore eyes. [WATCH]
-Nathan Lyon second in the list for most wickets by an away bowler in India (53 in 10 matches).
-Umesh Yadav becomes only the 5th Indian quick to register 100 Test wickets at home.
- 13th time Lyon got Pujara out in Tests - the most an Indian batter has got out to any bowler. He also equalled Richie Benaud's tally of most five-wicket hauls (5) vs India in India.
- Only the 1st time since January 2019, Jadeja has got dismissed for a single digit score twice in a Test.
- Only the 2nd time India got bundled out under 200 twice in a Test since 1978. Also the second fewest overs (93.5) batted by India in a Test in which they've been bowled out twice.
"Pujara’s dismissal, I’ve just looked at it, that’s one of the greatest catches in the history of cricket, that’s as good as it gets. With his old cobbler’s back, he had a deteriorating disk, but that just takes me back to Mark Waugh. It’d be Bobby Simpson, it’d be every best slips fielder in the history of cricket, they would have loved to have taken that catch," the former Australia keeper batter told SENQ Breakfast.
During India’s second innings on day two, skipper Rohit Sharma was caught on camera in a rather animated mood, seemingly unhappy with his batters’ approach in the middle as he conversed with Ishan Kishan in the dressing room.
From what it could be understood from Rohit’s gestures, he seemingly wasn’t very happy with the conservative approach of the batters and sent Kishan to relay the message in the middle during break. [WATCH]
For years Umesh Yadav's father, Tilak toiled in the dark while putting his health at risk breathing in coal dust, writes our senior cricket writer, Devendra Pandey. Umesh, who grabbed three wickets on Thursday morning to help India mount a comeback in the game, had lost his father only last week. A father whose back breaking work and happiness was linked to Umesh's cricket career. [Read more]
“In cricket anything can happen. We will try our best and bowl tight lines. It is not an easy wicket, whether it is our batters or theirs. It is not easy to step out and hit.
“The ball is keeping low as well, so you can’t be sure about stepping out. The runs are less but we will stick to tight lines and push as much as we can,” said Umesh, who picked up three wickets on Thursday to help India dismiss Australia early in the first session.
10/119: Ajaz Patel, Mumbai 2021/22
8/50: Nathan Lyon, Bangalore 2016/17
8/64: Lance Klusener, Kolkata 1996/97
8/64: Nathan Lyon, Indore 2022/23*
Sandip G, our man on the ground in Indore, writes on the dramatic day two of the Indore Test that saw 16 wickets falling across two innings and Nathan Lyon picking an 8-fer, inspiring Australia to set themselves a total of 76 to chase and win the first Test of the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy. [Read]
Cheteshwar Pujara, the man who brought some semblance of respectability to the Indian innings on Thursday, said that the secret of negotiating turn and bounce on a pitch like the one at Indore was trusting your defence. “It’s a tough pitch to bat on. It’s not easy, you need to trust your defence, make sure you need to get to the pitch or, if it’s short, play off the back foot,” said Pujara.
Asked about the strategy needed on this track, Pujara said: "You need to attack and defend, a mix, on this pitch. If you keep defending, one ball will bounce and hit your glove. My aim was to be a bit more positive, try and score as many as possible.” He scored nearly half of India’s second-innings runs.
Just when Pujara had started to appear threatening to the Australians, Steve Smith took a blinder to dismiss him on Thursday. It would not be an over exaggeration to state that the catch was the turning point of Day 2, and could be of the match as well since Pujara was batting with composure. [WATCH]
India suffered a humbling batting collapse against Australia in 3rd Test at Indore, a section of fans in the stands at Holkar Stadium started a chant for Rishabh Pant. Pant suffered a horrific accident in December 30, which required him to undergo lengthy treatment. it will also mean he will miss a lot of international cricket this year. While fans in the stadiums are missing Pant, it didn't help that his replacement, Srikar Bharat, has had a forgettable series so far: scoring 8, 6, 23, 17 and 3 in 5 innings. [Read]
Sandip G, our man on the ground in Indore, writes that Lyon's dismantling of Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja on Thursday shows why he is the greatest of all time. He also points out that while Shane Warne has just the one five-wicket haul in India, Lyon already has five in the country. [Read]
Nathan Lyon was incredible on Thursday, taking eight Indian wickets in 23.3 overs while conceding just 64 runs. Barring Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, he was behind all of the Indian specialist batters going back to the hut on Thursday. The 35-year-old is playing in his 118th Test and has taken 479 wickets.
A fighting 59-run knock from Cheteshwar Pujara was the saving grace for the hosts in the second innings as they collapsed for a paltry 163 runs in the second innings. In the first, they had managed to score just 109 runs. Australia, who scored 197 in their first innings, need just 76 runs to win. Pujara patiently stitched together his innings, using up 142 balls to make his score before perishing to a ball from Nathan Lyon.
For most of their time in India, the visiting Australian side has been staring down the barrel, losing both the first two Tests in three days. But in Indore, at long last, things have gone their way and they now find themselves needing just 76 runs to claim a back-to-the-wall victory. it won't help them regain the Border Gavaskar Trophy, but it will be some consolation to make the series 2-1 and put pressure on the hosts going to Ahmedabad.
Right then. Here's a bit of recap. On day two of the third Test match, India manage to bundle Australia out for 197, giving away only 40 runs to their total of day one. With Australia leading by 88 runs, India could only manage a lead of 75 of their own as Nathan Lyon (8/64) ran through the Indian lineup, the hosts being dismissed for 163. Another day three finish on cards, the only question, do India have something out of this world on the cards to defend a total of 76?