Australia stun India in third Test, keep series alive

Australia have completed a stunning nine-wicket victory in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore to keep the series alive.

The Australians also earned 12 points in the World Test Championship (WTC) to ensure they will take part in the final in England in June.

The Australians, despite their improved performance, will enter the final Test at Nardendra Modi Stadium as underdogs with Australian bookmakers pricing them at $3.15 to win. The Indians are $1.52 favourites to win the match, which is again expected to be a spin-friendly pitch.

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Australia started the third Test in impressive fashion, bowling India out on the first day for just 109 runs. Australia needed just 33.2 overs to bowl the home side out, courtesy of a stunning five-wicket haul from Queensland spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.

Australia began their batting innings with opener Travis Head looking to bat with positivity before Indian superstar spinner Ravindra Jadeja needed just four balls to take his wicket.

The partnership between Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne was the key to Australia building their first innings total. Cameos from Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, and Cameron Green ensured the visiting side set an 88-run lead leading into the third innings of the match.

The Australians started their second bowling inning brilliantly again, removing danger men Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli for just 54 runs. India rallied around Cheteshwar Pujara as he faced 142 balls for his 59 runs with help from Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin to set Australia a 76-run total to win the test.

Nathan Lyon proved why he is Australia’s greatest ever off-spin bowler in his second bowl. Lyon spun his way to eight for 64 runs in 22.3 overs, the second-best bowling performance of his illustrious Test career.

Australia began day three in the worst imaginable way, losing opener Usman Khawaja on the second ball of the day, a decision he reviewed without success. Marnus Labuschagne strode to the crease, defending strongly and with purpose, scoring 28 runs from 58 balls and hitting a boundary through midwicket to win the match for his nation.

Australia’s victory was made to look easy in the fourth innings by stand-in opener Head, who belted Ashwin and Jadeja for multiple boundaries around the ground. Head’s 49 runs from 53 balls proved exactly why he is one of the top five batters in Test cricket.

The Border-Gavaskar series will wrap up in Ahmedabad at Sardar Patel Stadium when the fourth Test begins on March 9. Australia will be set on levelling the series against India, a result that seemed impossible when the second Test concluded.

Australia may face another pitch that will heavily favour the home side, with former Indian captain and head coach Ravi Shastri predicting difficult conditions for the touring side in Ahmedabad.

“It will turn, but it depends on how quickly… and how long they keep it in the oven. Just kept it a little too long for this Test match. Which India found out on day one,” Shastri said.

Cricket Australia is yet to confirm if Test captain Pat Cummins will return to India for the Fourth Test. Cummins returned to Australia to be with his mother, who “is ill and in palliative care”.

Should Cummins remain in Australia, the touring side will likely name an unchanged XI to take on India. However, Indian captain Sharma has hinted that conditions in the fourth test may not be as expected.

With sights set on taking part in the WTC final in England, Sharma was questioned on whether a green, seam-friendly pitch would be requested for the last Test of the series. Sharma noted that the request would be dependent on the result of the third match against Australia as well as the availability of Indian seam bowler Shardul Thakur.

“It’s definitely a possibility; we’ve already spoken about it. We need to get the guys ready for it as well,” he said.