India v Australia, Third Test, Chandigarh

First topic message reminder :

1st Test
Fri Feb 22 - Tue Feb 26
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

2nd Test
Sat Mar 2 - Wed Mar 6
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad

3rd Test
Thu Mar 14 - Mon Mar 18
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

4th Test
Fri Mar 22 - Tue Mar 26
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi


India:
Shikhar Dhawan, Murli Vijay, Virender Sehwag, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, M S Dhoni (c),
Rabindra Jadeja, Bhubhneshwar Kumar, Ravi Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashoke Dinda

Australia:
Michael Clarke (c), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Glenn Maxwell,
Moises Henriques, Nathan Lyon, Xavier Doherty, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird

Ha ha , PSW ...I was joking a bit about flying another bowler over...certainly Johnson should be tried , and indeed Starc is still there , though I would be loath to play the two of them together !
But given the way Australian pace bowlers are falling apart at the moment you feel they always need at least a couple of spares...no idea who is next cab off the rank...

CF wrote:also talking about spinners...

Ojha's perfumed incredibly well in recent times, and im not sure what Harbajhan's done to get into the side over him?!

I didn't realise the selectors were so hygienically sensitive. Maybe he needs to try Dove?

laugh out loud *perfomed

Agree about Ojha, btw. He'd rip through us too.

I know Vijay has scored a ton here, but its against an average attack in thse conditions...ive seen him against better attacks and he didn't convince at all....get him on a pitch with a bit of bounce and he really struggles!

Hmm this comment seemed to end up in the wrong thread :/

Linebreaker wrote:So when do you think India will declare, msp? 650?

Another embarrassing day's play for Australia. I'm just as flabbergasted as everyone else as to the reasoning behind the selection.
So many players are not pulling their weight (or simply incapable) in the batting department and from what I saw - our bowlers look tired... as you would... getting dispatched to all parts all day long. Makes our 1st innings effort look even worse than it was.

Well done Pujara and Vijay.
They certainly are enjoying themselves out in the middle. Personally, I'd like to see Cheteshwar get a big 200.

Tomorrow is a fresh day and all, but India are already in a strong position. I believe they could really bat on for most of the day tomorrow if they have a chance to do that. In fact if things hold together, they should just bat out the day and build a real big lead.

As far as Vijay is concerned, he showed remarkable temprament today. He usually is a free flowing batsman, but today he showed great discipline in the morning session, and rather than camping on the backfoot all the time, he brought that frontfoot out to defend well and also used his feet well against the spinners.
He might still not be India's greatest bet in bouncy conditions. Gautam Gambhir is someone who could deal with conditions with his temprament rather than textbook technique, but the last couple of years, Gauti has just been awful and he was rightly dropped. Vijay was given a chance and he took it, and perhaps the kind of temprament he showed here would help him deal with tougher conditions better.
What Vijay's innings also does, is to put more pressure on a struggling Virender Sehwag. I have always argued for giving that X factor considerable importance in his case, but I am afraid he has run out of time. Not only his batting even his catching is suffering, and his experience isn't really helping things at the top.
It would be dificult for Dhoni, the selectors should take that call out of the captain's hand by dropping Sehwag for the next couple of matches. Shikhar Dhawan should be given an opportunity in the next game. Gauti scored a ton against the Australians in a warm up game and there will be that temptation to bring him back, but I would rather have him working hard a bit longer so that he if and when returns, would return a more focused player.

Only just caught up with day 2 score. Aussies taking a battering.... Seems like only a few months ago that people were saying India weren't trying in test matches any more.

Got a rather interesting stat.

In 309 Test matches where the first innings of the match is declared, the team batting first has never lost.

At the 310 time of asking that record maybe about to fall.

Gerry SA wrote:Got a rather interesting stat.

In 309 Test matches where the first innings of the match is declared, the team batting first has never lost.

At the 310 time of asking that record maybe about to fall.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/540176.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/249223.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/226373.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64095.html


This stat is clearly bullocks. Its occurred 4 times in the last 10 years.

Gerry SA wrote:Got a rather interesting stat.

In 309 Test matches where the first innings of the match is declared, the team batting first has never lost.

At the 310 time of asking that record maybe about to fall.

What about Adelaide 2006?

Sorry guys brains not working correctly today, very heavy session last night...

Australia could become to the first team ever to declare the first innings of the match and lose by an innings!

Pujara and Vijay carrying on from where they left off yesterday. They have moved the Indian score on to 356-1. Pujara on 180, Vijay on 156.

The partnership flying pass the 350 mark. Glenn Maxwell under the pump right away.

Cheteshwar Pujara reaches a thousand test run mark. 11th test, 18 innings.

Maxwell's round the wicket approach is looking good. He has got a couple of balls to bounce a bit on Pujara, and a couple turned significantly as well.

Would you believe it, there is a wicket at last!!!. Vijay is gone, Maxwell has taken his first test wicket!!!.
A small partnership of 370 is broken, and the crowd is bringing the roof down as the wicket went down. A fabulous knock from Vijay, and as he's gone, Sachin Tendulkar makes his way to the wicket.

Vijay left after eetting the Indian lead up to exactly 150.

2nd double hundred for Cheteshwar Pujara!!!.

As it often happens with massive partnerships, the fall of one partnership is followed by the other Pujara while trying to pull, is caught by Doherty of Pattinson for 204. India 393-3. Virat Kohli joins Tendulkar. Unlike in the previous 2 innings, Tendulkar hasn't got going right away. He has middled everything that came his way, but he hasn't turned the attack on to the bowlers as yet, and is yet to get off the mark. Now he plays a rather ugly slog!.

Kohli off the mark with a boundary, and he also manages to go pass thousand test runs, and brings up India's 400 as well.

The wicket seems to have done Pattinson a world of good, he's getting his yorkers absolutely spot on, and there is a certain extra energy in his bowling. Tendulkar has been up to it so far, tricky times for him, just before lunch.

400-3 at lunch. Tendulkar on 3, Kohli on 4.

Wow a full on collapse all of a sudden, India may struggle to get to 500 after all. Still a winning position

India lost Sachin Tendulkar after lunch, strangled down the leg side for 7 of Pattinson. There were some doubts about that call, the third umpire checked all aspects, There was nothing conclusive about an edge there through Wade had clearly taken it, but Tendulkar was eventually given out, probably based on sound.

Dhoni on the attack right away. 3 boundaries of Doherty already.

The first half hour after lunch, Australia have reclaimed some control. They dismissed Tendulkar, and Kohli hasn't got going as yet. Dhoni is looking to take the attack to the bowlers though, and if they manage to dismiss him soon, then they would be able to limit the damage considerably at this stage.

The lead goes pass 200. India 441-4.

Just need another 100 runs and this game should be safe.

Maxwell gets Dhoni, trying a big shot too many. He goes for 44. India 460-5.

Ravindra Jadeja gave it away after hitting Maxwell for a 6, trying to go for another big hit, well caught by Maxwell on his followthrough. India 484-6. Ravichandran Ashwin joining Kohli. He most certainly can bat. And he's dropped first ball at forward shortleg.
Maxwell has certainly made an impact after he went around the stumps. He has taken 3 wickets already. Has bowled some hit me stuff in between, but he cold take test wickets.

Ashwin doesn't make his luck count, he goes for one, Doherty gets his first. 485-7. Oh they are checking for the no-ball. He's just OK, so Ashwin has to go.

Kohli should open up a bit more here, the ball is turning and bouncing, Harbhajan's not going to hang around for long. Kohli has to take charge of the innings now.
The lead reaches 250.

Harbhajan gone now.

The lower order is batting as if they are disinterested. This is the difference between the Indian and Australian approaches. Had it been Australia in a similar position, they would have looked to stuff the opposition completely rather than giving them any little chance at a comeback.

Now its Kohli. They are just falling apart. 491-9. Maxwell ever so close to a fifor on test debut.

As we were saying earlier Maxwell and Doherty are two greatly underated spinners who are capable of turning a game like this on its head



I assume the pitch is giving them a lot of help?

Can Bhuvneshwar Kumar somehow push them to 500?

The ball certainly is playing tricks with the help of the pitch, but nothing absolutely unplayable.

Think this is a strategy. THe poor Australian batters will be wondering, if the Indians could collapse like this against inexperienced spinners, what would happen to them?

500 up.

That collapse will just hasten Australia's demise!

What odds Australia will be 50/4 at c.o.p.?

If anyone from the top order give Clarke some good support, this casual approach might come back to bite the Indians.
The ball is turning and bouncing, and it won't be easy, but I won't rule that out entirely.

Ashwin opening the bowling along with Kumar. Warner trying to take him on, 2 boundaries already in Ashwin's first over. And another one!.

Good to see Australia at least putting up a fight today with the ball...maybe some carelessness from the Indian bats involved but still to the credit of the bowlers to have come back and taken wickets after the dreadful day they endured yesterday.
Didn't see a lot of it but certainly plenty happening off the pitch for Doherty and Maxwell in the latter stages , so I suspect Australia will have a struggle in store to get up to the Indian lead and avoid an innings defeat. A decent opening stand might help... but Cowan looks as if he'll be out any moment...

Kumar bowling very well...

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is bowling well, but he's not supported in the field. First Kohli, and now the skipper himself putting down chances. Both Australian openers enjoying a bit of luck. Australia 22 without loss.

Warner dropped on 13, Cowan dropped on 0.
Pretty loose cricket from India in the last 3 hours.

Australia 40 without loss. This is proving out to be a stubborn little opening partnership and would do well for the kind of confidence for the Australian openers.
Harbhajan into the attack, and Cowan welcomes him with a boundary first ball.