India v Australia, Third Test, Chandigarh

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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

Phil Hughes

er whats happened!!


3 quick wickets

M S Dhoni owes me

Nothing but text and radio updates for hours , Australia 130 odd for none ... I walk in the door , turn on the TV and see Warner in the act of popping up a catch ...half hour of ghastly struggle later and they're 150/3 ...all my fault , sorry Pup , I should have stayed at work...

At least Smithis striking a few blows. Might still get 250.

Australia still hanging in. They have been losing wickets after that partnership, but first Cowan, and then Smith, have tried to stay in there and fight on. They are 222-4 at the moment. Smith on 39, Haddin on 9. Cowan was out for 86. He had a bit of luck going his way, a couple of chances going down with Virat Kohli not on top of his game in the field, but eventually he was caught Kohli bowled Ashwin.

Aw Well, Ishant Sharma gets a wicket. Brad Haddin gone playing a shart and wide one from Ishant on to his stumps. And he gets another, good ball this time, and Henriques is gone clean bowled!.

Can't remember the last time Ishant picked up more than a wicket in an innings!.

Haddin and Smith were putting things back on track through a 46 run partnership, but another double wicket over has undone a lot of their work. Siddle can hang around, Starc is capable of some good lower order hitting. Lyon puts a price on his wicket usually. If Smith can stay in with them and drag this total to 350, there would be some justice done to the openers.

Smith gets to 50. Have to say a very impressive knock from him so far. Showed a very functional technique against spin, and he has been running like Dhoni between the wickets.
India haven't taken the new ball, but the umpires have now changed the old ball with another. Will have to see whether it'll reverse for Sharma.

Siddle goes, Jadeja gets him LBW after giving him trouble throughout his short stay at the wicket.

Australia end the at 273-7. Have to say India's day. This pitch provided the best batting conditions in the series so far, the Australian openers had got off to a fine start, but the bowlers did a fine job to take out 7 wickets as well. Remember it was a longer day, the game started half an hour early.

Finally Ojha gets back in the side!

Good day for India, IMO aussies wont be able to force the pace of the game and thus wont win the game and will end up losing the series! Well played Ed Cowa, and Ishant with that ridiclously old ball was exceptional in his final spell!

Australia will be livid. 139/0 to 273/7 = excellent position sacrificed. First ball duck for Clarke as well, didn't see that coming!

Its been quite a relief to see India getting back on their feet at home, but the BCCI had to do something to ensure that the happiness wouldn't last long. And yes, they have done just that. The Indian coach has been given a one year extension. Very disappointing indeed. Not saying India's losses overseas could all be attributed to DF, but he never really managed to create that belief that Guru Garry had created.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/625161.html

Looking forward to seeing Shikar Dhawan get a bat...very talented batsman hopefully he can really take his chance.

An excellent 8th wicket partnership is swinging the game back in Australia's favor. Australia racing along to 342-7. Smith on 90, Starc on 52.

Another half hour of these 2, an Australian defeat would become less and less likely. In fact Australia would be in a position of strength from where they can make a push for something more than avoiding a defeat.

Aw well, not another half hour, just half a minute after I typed out my last comment, Steve Smith is gone, brilliantly stumped by the Indian skipper for 92. Ojha with a very good ball to get him.

Lyon's joined Starc. Lyon is a fighter with the bat, he doesn't usually throw away his wicket. Starc is well in, if he makes it count and take Australia to 400, they would be very pleased and would get an opportunity to put some serious pressure on India.

The match is going its way to a draw, if India bat's well. From here I don't see Aussies side losing the game. India in the absence of sehwag don't have a player that will go with kill or get killed attitude. India will be slow in their batting and eventually no result possible.

Starc goes for 99. But a superb display of batting. Deserves Standing Ovation.

Agree, with the substantial score that Australia have managed, forcing a result will be very dificult for India. But Australia can look to put them under pressure and push things.

Certainly a superb performance from young Starc. Like Shane Warne, he does possess significant batting abilities down the order. He scored a 60 odd against South Africa earlier in the season, and scored some runs against the West Indies in the ODIs as well.

Finally the Aussies inning get a break at a decent 408. With this session a bit toward Australians they have put a brilliant total on the board. Now India will have to look forward with some good innings in the middle. With a new opening pair we hope India will go with a good start.

408 is a pretty decent effort, and considering the lost first day, it will be very dificult for India to force something out of this game in their favor. Someone will have to do a Sehwag here, but that won't be easy. Or the batting unit as a collective, should try to find a way to change the gears a bit quicker. Nothing reckless, first they have to establish themselves, ensure no early advantage is given to the Australians and then try and bat a little bit quicker than they usually do.
As for Australia, a couple of early wickets could put India under a lot of pressure, they do have a total from which they can try and apply some pressure on the Indians. In Chennai they had a couple of moments ones when India were 12-2 and then later on when they were 196-4. First Tendulkar, then Kohli and Dhoni took away those opportunities, but then India had enough time on their hand to try and force a result, this time its a bit different.

First run for Shikhar Dhawan in test cricket.

Welcome to test cricket. Dhawan. I had seen him In the under 19 world cup 7 yrs back he was highest run getter that time, he has sharpen his skills gradually and is taking on the boots of shehwag now. I hope we will get a new opening pair.

Lyon on attack replacing siddle. But unfortunate for him superb welcome given by vijay.

Vijay trying to go after the spinner right away as Lyon gets an early spell replacing Siddle. The Indian openers have to be careful, India need a stable start, no need to do anything rash.

Think Vijay is doing the right thing. Get on top of Lyon early...he was expensive in Chennai and it cost him his place , will put him - and Clarke - under pressure if he is leaking runs early on.

Truly said msp, they should make them self stable but at the same time they should not allow aussies bowlers to settle here.

Superb batting display by dhawan here, but he should not go for drive on every ball.

Dhawan has played some good shots in his innings so far, but he shouldn't get carried away, he has got a start, has to convert it into a substantial knock.

50 on debut for Shikhar Dhawan. At a strike rate of 100+.

Congo! congo! congo! What a way to get a 50. Superb one.

Guys what is going on here. Boundries are coming like singles. I think I should Tinkywinky a needle on my arm, is it a dream or shehwag batting lefty. Here dhawan is playing IPL.

Debut hundred for Shikhar Dhawan, the fastest debut hundred in test cricket!.

Smith and then Starc missed out in the morning, but Shikhar gone through. This innings from Dhawan has really reignited India's chance to push for a win in this match. He has brought up his hundred in just a session.
I hope he'll understand his job isn't done yet. Starc is getting the ball to reverse, both Vijay and Dhawan are set, a new batsman will find it dificult to start, and it will also bring down the scoring rate as well.

Tea. India 156-0. Murali Vijay on 42, Shikhar Dhawan on 106. Fabulous session for India. They would hope for more of the same in the next session as well.

msp83 wrote:Dhawan has played some good shots in his innings so far, but he shouldn't get carried away, he has got a start, has to convert it into a substantial knock.

I think he has done that now

Couple of hours ago I was thinking Australia had reached a position from which they really couldn't lose...not so sure now ...

If India carry on like this they will have a fair sort of lead by tea tomorrow and a chance to put Australia under a lot of pressure late in the game. And I am not sure how well Australia will react to that.

Of course a couple of quick wickets could change things , but this Australian attack is looking rather toothless and I fear for them here with some pretty fair stroke players to come. Dhoni might fancy a bit of them later...

At the moment, things are going better than planned for India. But as Alfie said, a couple of quick wickets can put the brakes if nothing else, so very important for Vijay and Dhawan to continue their good work.

Hugely impressive effort from Indian openers. Dhawan the best batsman since Bradman? 23 boundaries to him so far.

Well before the series looking at the current form I was expecting the series to go 2-1 in favor of Australia, but today we have a changed secnario now. India are ahead in the series 2-0 and I hope one more win will come. Looking here at Mohali both the Indian openers are new. Dhawan has shown the character and instinct of Shewag. All the Delhilites have the same tendency to bat harsh. I hope India will go in this session the same they were in the previous. Hope to see another win here at Mohali.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Hugely impressive effort from Indian openers. Dhawan the best batsman since Bradman? 23 boundaries to him so far.

Comparison so early

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Hugely impressive effort from Indian openers. Dhawan the best batsman since Bradman? 23 boundaries to him so far.

Comparison so early

Well just look at Dhawan's test average - (at least once he gets out.... ) Dhawan has now also rectified the record of never having hit a six in test cricket as well.....

12 runs in boundaries off that over....

13 runs off that over - even Mysti would be hard put to complain about the scoring rate....

Proper nutty stuff! Get your hardhats on in the crowd!

150 for Shikhar Dhawan.

And now Steve Smith, who, it is said, has almost lost his art of legspin is on for a bowl. Not many gave Smith the batsman a chance and he scored 92, can he ones again go beyond expectations?

Cricinfo reports that only Tip Foster hit more boundaries on a debut test inning...