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The Aussies may have suffered poor outings in Nagpur and Delhi, but Indore can bring a smile on their faces. Nathan Lyon took eight wickets as Australia restricted India’s second innings lead to just 75 runs on the second day at the Holkar Stadium. Steve Smith and co need to score 76 runs to win the third Test and set the stage for the fourth and final Test to be played in Ahmedabad.
Even if Australia manages to win the remaining two Tests, the Border Gavaskar Trophy remains with India. However, this would prevent India from reaching the final of the ICC World Test Championship as they would have to win by at least a 3–1 margin to ensure a spot.
The target looks small but Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a fighting half-century on the second day, has not given up hope.
He said, ‘It is a difficult pitch to bat on. It’s not easy, you need to rely on your defence, make sure you get where you need to go to the pitch or, if it’s short, play off the back foot. 75 may not be too many but there is a chance,” Pujara said at the end of the day’s play.
Pujara acknowledged his team’s failure to build a good partnership in their second dig. “If there was a little more partnership with Akshar, it could have helped. I am learning a few more tricks, if there is demand, I think instead of playing a lot of dot balls, if you can take a few chances, you can score runs. Now I am confident that I can play that shot whenever it is required.
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