Pat Cummins, who replaced the injured Mitchell Starc, ran the show for Australia with an impressive 4/59.
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Both nations still feel aggrieved they have been cast in a poor light.
Steve Smith and Virat Kohli were ordered to sit down with match referee Richie Richardson following the second Test, one of the most spiteful Tests in the modern era. Kohli made six runs facing 23 balls and India were 225/3 in the 81st over. He tried to hook a short ball over the wicketkeeper and caught behind by Wade.
Indian opener Murali Vijay suggested Australia would cop some backlash on day four for Maxwell’s mocking of their skipper.
Chasing the visitors first innings total of 451, the Indians, however, still trail by 148 runs. Mostly playing his own game of occupying crease and waiting for bowlers to pitch it in his areas, Pujara shouldered responsibility all by himself from the moment Vijay got out.
The Saurashtra batsman’s love-affair with new venues also continues as he became the first batsman in the history of the game to score a hundred in the maiden Test of four venues – Indore, Rajkot, Vizag and Ranchi. A attractive delivery struck the off stump sending Nair to the pavilion.
Cheteshwar Pujara flicked Cummins to the midwicket fence but Maxwell’s stupendous chase in the Kohli-corner, the part of the ground where he had undone his shoulder, saved a run and more importantly got Kohli on strike.
Cummins removed Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin with bouncers, and he claimed the key scalp of Virat Kohli. Then we’ve got Jimmy Pattinson, the way he’s come back in the last few Shield games and he’s got another chance in a Shield final, so that’s really good for him and good for Australian cricket.
However just before the Lunch, Steve O’Keefe provided the much needed breakthrough as he got rid of Murali Vijay just before the lunch. He also looked for runs on a consistent basis, which is why India were able to snatch away whatever advantage Australia were left with.
Pacer Pat Cummins, making his comeback in Australia Test squad, emerged as the wrecker-in-chief as he took three wickets on Day 3.
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As wickets were tumbling at the other end, Pujara brought the first century for an Indian batsman in the series with a boundary in the 94th over. Having completed his half-century in terms of Test appearances, Vijay recalled India’s Lord’s win in 2014 as one of the highlights of his career: “It’s a great feeling to be honest”.
