India asserted their dominance on day three in the fourth and final Test that looks destined to go the distance on a pitch that is offering next to nothing for the bowlers.
After producing their highest score in India since 2008, Australia remain with the slight upper hand but the home nation showed they’re not going to be swept aside as they ticked the scoreboard over on the third day to the loss of just three wickets.
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Shubman Gill was the star of the day as the opener produced a masterful display that saw him pummel 128 runs, his second Test hundred and first in India.
But Nathan Lyon finally struck and sent him packing after trapping him on the crease.
India finished the day at 3/289 with superstar Virat Kohli unbeaten at the crease on 59 alongside Ravindra Jadeja on 16.
India still trail by 191 runs and with two days still remaining.
Australia will be hoping for an overnight miracle that the pitch can produce some cracks, otherwise they’re staring down the barrel of another long day in the field as the chance to level the series up slips away.
It comes after Australia scored 480 in the first innings thanks to Usman Khawaja’s 180 and Cameron Green registering his maiden Test century, ending on 114.
It was Australia’s the highest total in India since 2008.
9.25pm – Monster breakthrough as Lyon strikes gold
Nathan Lyon has toiled away all day long and finally got his reward with the biggest wicker of the day.
India’s opener Shubman Gill has put the Australian attack to the sword and was in terrifying touch, but a momentary lapse in concentration saw him come undone on 128.
Gill had been battling cramps with the trainer called out on one occasion, it was then Lyon who struck as he caught him trapped on the crease.
The opener sent it up for review only for DRS to confirm the ball was going to collect the stumps.
It gives Lyon his 20th wicket of the series.
8pm – Indian star’s nightmare review
Todd Murphy finally got the much needed breakthrough for Australia after sending Cheteswar Pujara on his way.
A brilliant delivery from around the wicket from Murphy thundered into the front pad of a defensive Pujara.
The Aussies around the bat went up as one as the finger from the umpire went up almost immediately.
Not happy with what had unfolded however, Pujara elected to send the decision upstairs for review only for it to reveal just how poor of a decision it was.
The ball pitched in line with middle stump and was going on to hit the middle of middle stump.
“That was plumb. I was worried about Pujara, he looked set to bat for days,” Brad Haddin said on Fox Cricket.
7pm – At this rate we’re heading for a draw
Australia batted for all of two days and now it looks like India might be heading towards doing the same.
The Aussies have failed to make any real impact during the second session on day three as Shubman Gill and Cheteswar Pujara tick the scoreboard over.
With the Border-Gavaskar trophy already decided, the fourth and final Test was a chance for Australia to save face by levelling things up at 2-2.
But on a wicket that’s offering next to nothing, it’s looming as heading towards a rather lacklustre fifth day finish.
5pm – India on top after morning session
27 overs bowled, 93 runs scored.
Australia may have sent skipper Rohit Sharma packing but the morning belonged to India behind the stellar display from opener Shubman Gill who heads into the lunch break unbeaten on 65 runs.
The lifeless pitch showed some minor signs of life for the Australian spinners, but nowhere near enough to be continually troubling the Indian batsmen.
3.45pm – Skipper throws wicket away
Indian captain Rohit Sharma will be kicking himself after throwing his wicket away off the bowling of Matt Kuhnemann.
Sharma off his back foot spooned on straight to Marnus Labuschange at cover as Australia claimed the first wicket of the day.
3.30pm – India come out guns blazing
The scoreboard has been ticking over thick and fast at the start of day three and Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill go after the Aussie attack.
In the space of only six overs the openers have plundered 30 runs off the bowling of Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.
Steve Smith has thrown the field around to try and lure a false shot but so far it’s been one-way traffic for India to start the day.
2.30pm – Future captain of Australia stands tall
Cameron Green delivered on the hype surrounding him during the second day of play as he clobbered the Indian attack to all corners of the ground.
The towering all-rounder has been billed as a generational type player and a potential captain of the Australian team.
On day two he only added to those claims as he saluted his first Test century in what is promising to be a stellar career.
“It was really special, obviously (being 95) over the lunch break that 40 minutes felt like an hour forty, but I was batting with Ussie the whole time, there was experience at the other end and he was batting beautifully and that helps a lot,” Green said.
The 23-year-old will again loom as a game-changer for the Aussies as they look to clean out the Indian batting line-up on a pitch that offered little.
Indian star Ravi Ashwin was glowing in his praise of Green, labelling him a “once in a generation talent”.
“I hope you tuned into the IPL auction (Green was sold for $3.5m); it just tells you how the Indian cricketing fraternity rates Cameron Green,” Ashwin said. “I think he’s a fantastic player. Just the raw materials for a person as tall as him, lovely levers, good batting sense, can bowl and really hit the deck well, moves pretty well on the field.
“These are once-in-a-generation cricketers you are talking about. We come from different countries – India is very different, we can’t protect such players for a long period of time. It’s perform or perish. But in countries like Australia and England, they’re doing pretty well at that. I expect Cameron Green to be a wonderful cricketer down the line.”
