#India Vs #Australia - Third Test Day Two

On day two of the third Test against Australia, India are in control. They have taken a 47-run lead in the final session and need to score an impressive hundred on Sunday to guarantee their place in Sunday's World Test Championship final.

Steve Smith's men will face an uphill challenge with Mitchell Starc replacing Pat Cummins as the opening bowler after the skipper returned to Sydney to be with his mother.

Day 1

India suffered the loss of all their top four batsmen, including the in-form Steve Smith, on day one of the third Test against Australia. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann took five wickets while Nathan Lyon added another scalp as India took control of a chaotic opening session at Holkar Stadium in Indore with an aggressive pitch that turned quickly.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill made a promising start, scoring 27 runs together before Kuhnemann removed both men in his sixth over. The Australian offspinner then bowled Cheteshwar Pujara for 1 run as India crumbled to 109 - their lowest total against Australia at home since 2008 in terms of balls bowled.

After a slow start, Marnus Labuschagne (31), who hit the opening ball for six, cut through India's bowling lineup with an elegant reverse-sweeping knock of 21 runs to bring his team back into the game. Usman Khawaja (60), who hit his fourth ball of the session for a boundary, continued to strike against Jadeja and eventually ended up with his 21st fifty in Test cricket as Australia's partnership reached its highest for this series.

After scoring 156 for the fourth wicket, Peter Handscomb and Cameron Green struck again to seal victory, scoring 156 runs for their fourth wicket in just over five overs. Jadeja then picked up Steve Smith's wicket in his final over, leaving Australia at 4-156. However, Australia's top order held firm, as Peter Handscomb and Cameron Green scored an unbeaten 61 runs in just five overs to end a memorable day in their favor.

On Friday night at the same venue, the third Test will commence and determine which team advances to the World Test Championship final in June. With their last two matches against India having ended in defeat, Australia are eager to avenge those losses and secure a series win on home soil for the first time since 2010.

Day 2

India have won the second Test in Delhi by six wickets and taken a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. They next face Australia in Indore on Thursday for what could be a crucial third Test match as Australia looks to consolidate their hold on the series. With such an important win for India, this match must be won to keep alive any hope of taking control of things in this contest.

India made a promising start in the opening session, with both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill hitting boundaries against Mitchell Starc. However, after lunch break, India's batting line-up will need to do their utmost to hold onto their wickets against an experienced Australian bowling unit.

On this dreadful Indore pitch, runs have been hard to come by and they will be even tougher if Australia can't find some rhythm with the bat. This is going to be a difficult place for them to win, given their sweeping tactics which appear to have been taken to heart.

India must first and foremost eliminate a 75-run deficit against dangerous Australian openers Cameron Green and Alex Carey. Umesh Yadav has already trapped Green at long-off while Axar Patel, playing his last Test for this series, was successful in getting Carey out. With that done, India can focus on eliminating Green from the lineup altogether.

Umesh Yadav's opening delivery is a delight! It's angled towards Green and beats his outside edge, sending the ball tumbling off the stump. Though slightly short, the ball found its way in there and knocked the stump in its path.

After reviewing the footage, it was determined that the ball had come too close to Green's leg stump and he was declared out LBW - his 100th Test wicket on home soil!

Nathan Lyon will continue Australia's attack with the off-spin. However, he must be wary of Pete Handscomb and Cameron Green's formidable defence as they strive to thwart any opportunities presented.

Starc, who tore his finger during the opening Test against New Zealand in Wellington, is back in action and looking like he can do his usual impressive job. He hit eight off his first over, though his finger remains bleeding; it will be an interesting battle to see if Starc can keep Australia in this game.

Day 3

India have made a comeback into the third Test after an uneventful opening day as R Ashwin and Umesh Yadav ran through Australia's batting lineup with ease. Each pace-spin duo took three wickets each to spark India's comeback after Australia took an overwhelming first innings lead of 88 runs.

The Indians have made a good start, reaching an impressive total of 206/7 in nine and half overs. If they want to wrap up this series on a high note, quick wickets on the final day would be necessary.

Cheteshwar Pujara's outstanding knock has enabled him to score 50 runs off 176 balls, as he and Rishabh Pant have played some excellent innings. Both batsmen have shown patience and consistency throughout their partnership which shows no signs of fatigue or wear-and-tear.

Pat Cummins continues his excellent form at the other end, taking Pujara by surprise with a bouncer that comes off his bat and brushes past Pujara's glove before landing perfectly for Tim Paine to collect it. That's an important wicket for India and an excellent bowl from Cummins.

Starc was in excellent form as he twice beat Rohit Sharma's outside edge. Unfortunately, the umpire did not opt for a review.

Meanwhile, Ashwin claimed Handscomb for 22 with his third LBW dismissal in the series. He attempted to navigate a degree turn but was too aggressive in front.

On the final day, India are hoping for some quick wickets and to regain control of the match before lunch. But Australia must be wary that if they don't, they could lose momentum in the process.

Live coverage

India will seek to extend their winning streak in the third Test of a four-match series against Australia, beginning March 1 at Holkar Stadium in Indore. The team is confident of defeating the tourists and taking an early 2-0 lead in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 series - an important practice session for the World Test Championship final in England.

On the opening day of the match, India lost wickets at regular intervals and failed to build a competitive score. Despite Ravindra Jadeja's best efforts, they were eventually bowled out for just 109.

Australia were able to defend a modest total of 156/4. They lost opener Travis Head on the opening ball but Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne showed they had what it takes to put on some valuable runs for the second wicket.

Matthew Kuhnemann's leg-spin proved a boon to the hosts as he claimed five wickets and conceded just 16 runs in nine overs. Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy also bowled well on day one.

Australia made some changes to their playing eleven as Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc returned from injury, while Pat Cummins had to fly home due to his mother's health. Despite the absence of David Warner, Todd Murphy, and Cummins, Australia's bowling unit remained well-oiled.

On Day one, Australia took control of the match with their bat and are now sitting at 197 all out - 88 runs ahead. They aim to put India under pressure on Day 2 by hitting for more runs than India managed on Day 1.

Experience free live streaming of India vs Australia on Hotstar:

The third Test between India and Australia will be broadcast live on Star Sports network. You can watch it on Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, or Star Sports 1 Tamil for free.

You can watch it on Jio TV and Airtel digital TV services. All that's required is signing up for a subscription plan on either service and logging in using your credentials.

On Wednesday morning at 9:30 AM IST, the match will commence at the Holkar Stadium in Indore and continue for five days.