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

45 runs in the last hour. They just need to go at 3 an over.

oz need a wicket or this is over

So 45 off the last fifteen. Piece of cake.

Might have been quite interesting if Australia had made another thirty or so , as India would have been forced to go on the charge a lot earlier. Mind you that might have just killed the game off - if they had lost a wicket or two they could have just played out time.
As it is this is looking like a comfortable amble to the target.

It does seem like a piece of cake doesnt it. But.... never know in sport

India 98-2, needing another 35 of 11 overs. Indians should just play normal cricket, not too much of attack, no unnecessary defense, just keep the scoreboard moving.

Virat Kohli gone, Siddle it is, good catch from Hughes, Kohli goes for 34, India 103-3.
Australia can put some questions in that Indian camp if they manage another quick wicket. Dhawan is unlikely to bat, Jadeja has been short of runs in the series despite his terrific showing with the wicket, and Ravichandran Ashwin hasn't been on top of his game with the bat either.

But finishing off matches is MS Dhoni's speciality, and in Sachin Tendulkar, there is a wealth of experience. Think they should just step it up a little bit.

Siddle gets Kohli , 103/3. Aussies are sticking to their task and not making it easy for the batsmen. Bowling has been a lot better than first innings (not saying much perhaps )

Even so with just twenty nine to go now the finish line is in sight.

The ball is reversing for Starc and Siddle, one more wicket, there would be some panick in that Indian dressingroom.

msp83 wrote:But finishing off matches is MS Dhoni's speciality, and in Sachin Tendulkar, there is a wealth of experience. Think they should just step it up a little bit.

Agree. Actually surprised Kohli didn't attack a bit more earlier on. Imagine Dhoni will play a few big shots once he feels settled.

Remember India messing up a chase against the West Indies in Mumbai in 2011 from a comfortable situation, although the target that time was more.

I have a nasty feeling they are about to plunge into a bit of a mess here.

Ravi Shastri on TV informs that Shikhar Dhawan will bat if needed. But its Ravindra Jadeja who's padded up.

27 of the last 7, nothing to panick, but I don't think they should leave it to the last couple of overs.

Just 2 of the over so far. Last ball coming up and Dhoni can't score of it either. 25 of the last 6 now.

They are making rather heavy weather of it. Don't want to leave too much to the last couple of overs ...

Still only four an over so I doubt the batsmen are too stressed ...lot of experience out there. Probably want to make sure the younger batsmen - who might panic - aren't left with too much to do.

Tendulkar played only 3 balls in the last 7 overs. Now again he's off strike first ball from Siddle.

Dhoni is creating tension all round the country, common man go for a boundry.

Dhoni is really struggling here, can't get bat to ball. Top stuff from Siddle, but Dhoni has to do something here.

Dhoni misses again, pressure builds by the minute.

Siddle's generating serious pace and he's getting the ball to move both ways.

With every leave you are getting abuses from fan.

Not the usual Dhoni at the moment. Puzzling...the bowling is pretty good right now but even so I keep expecting him to get hold of one ...

22 off five. Still comfortable.

Dhoni manages to get bat to ball and gets 2. Tendulkar will be on strike for the next over.

India making a meal of this hey..

I knew it wasnt going to be straight forward. But great 6 - pressure off!!

Sachin Tendulkar it is, breaking free with a boundary.

Tendulkar goes over the top...That four will ease a few Indian nerves

Tendulkar run out

Nervy

Well well, Tendulkar gone, Sachin is run out, No run there, pressure got to him and Dhoni is struggling out there big time.

Chance for Ravindra Jadeja to score some really important runs here.

My my they are keeping this interesting to the end after all ...run out ...

What will the new batsman do ? Jadeja whacks a four over mid off ...and another !

Just about settles it eh ?

Although not a classical shot but one of the bravest shot. Well done.
This is real australia. Fight till last. Hats off aussies team. U r real fighter

Interesting viewing. But I thinks thats it. Well down both teams for making monday morning mildly interesting.

Well done India

India won. Only adelaide left now.

After building up the drama, they did it very comfortably at the end. Very significant contribution from Jadeja.

Cricketing logic restored as Dhoni finishes it in style

In truth it was never really in doubt , but they fiddled about a bit near the end. I would have been flabbergasted if they'd messed up this chase.

But credit to Australia for fighting it out. Some redemption for the rubbish performance of the last couple of days.

Australia did fight in this test match.
They would be happy with Steve Smith's batting in the first innings, would be relieved that Phillip Hughes got some runs, will be pleased to Ed Cowan showing greate application at the top and David Warner making a good contribution at the top.
They would be very very pleased by the efforts of Mitchell Starc with both bat and ball, and would be happy to see Siddle back in form and working out his ways in Indian conditions.
But at the end of it all, they lost another test match, despite scoring 400 in the first innings, despite the first day being a washout, despite being presented with a pitch that had relatively less life for the spinners in comparison to the 2 other tracks, despite the seamers being able to extract just a little bit of life from this track.......

Congrats, msp & kumar. So India are up 3-0 and deservedly have the B-G Trophy back.

Too painful for me to watch every ball but there does seem to be some ray of hope for Oz given all the turmoil ... but just not in India. Australia has been well and truly outplayed by the better side.

All the best in the final test.

The one concern for India from this match other than Dhawan's fitness issues is the lack of the ruthless streak. 499 was an imposing total, but when you consider that your openers had put up 289 together, that certainly constitute a serious under-achievement, and they did for the 2nd time in the series. Again with the ball, they had Australia reduced to 143-8, but then they let Australia score 80 runs for the last 2 wickets and almost let the match slip from their grasp.
But overall, a fine performance from the team. All the 5 bowlers made significant contributions, Ravindra Jadeja yet again proving his value to this side, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar proving to be a source of hope. Even Ishant Sharma made a very valuable contribution with the ball. R Ashwin bowled much better than the eventual wicket tally suggests, and Pragyan Ojha offered the skipper good control and chipped in with crucial strikes. Never was as inconsistent as Harbhajan was although he didn't look a worldbeater in this game.

Says something that losing after scoring 400 and the first day was washed out is an improvement.

LB, I think Australia's biggest concern is the batting. They need a lot more solidity in that batting order. Impressive his performance in the first innings was, but I don't think Steve Smith hasn't reached a stage where he could consistently bat at 5 for Australia. Henriques, after a very promising start to test cricket, has lost his touch, and looking at his first class batting average, that is not all that surprising. Despite his frantic 69, I don't think Phillip Hughes is quite ready for the rigours of test cricket.
A few interesting selection decisions for Australia, Watson's joining back, and Wade should be fit. Clarke does have his troubled back, and James Pattinson should be back in the side.

A terrific win for India especially facing 400 in what was a four-day match. I used to think that there was no such thing as a weak Australian side, merely a less-strong X1.
Now after the 3-1 drubbing by England in Australia and this 3-0 reverse against a side that had been consistently whacked in previous Tests, I think this is certainly one of the poorest Australian sides for many years
They weren't much cop in the mid-50s or the mid-80s but how many Australians from this era would get in to the stronger Test sides' XIs? Clarke, certainly. Siddle possibly and er, that's it. The slow bowling, in particular, is non existent.
Given five days I fully expect India to complete a 4-0 whitewash in this series.

Dhoni has hinted that India could look at some options for the next match as the series is already in the bag, though winning every test is important. From the bench, the only player I would look at is Ajinkya Rahane. If Dhawan doesn't recover from his finger injury in time, Rahane can open, otherwise I would look at resting Kohli, as he's one player who plays non-stop in all formats along with his skipper. But not possible for the captain to be rested, there is no wicketkeeping backup, and there are many ODIs and he can be rested there.
R Ashwin is another one who plays all formats, but Harbhajan Singh is become pretty average, so that it wouldn't be prudent to rest Ashwin as India should push to win the test match.

Linebreaker wrote:Congrats, msp & kumar. So India are up 3-0 and deservedly have the B-G Trophy back.

Too painful for me to watch every ball but there does seem to be some ray of hope for Oz given all the turmoil ... but just not in India. Australia has been well and truly outplayed by the better side.

All the best in the final test.

What about me?

Very good performance, hope Dhawan is fit.

Both Shikhar Dhawan and Michael Clarke are doubtful starters for the Delhi test as of now.

Shikhar Dhawan is ruled out for 6 weeks after his hand injury that he picked up in the last test. The national selectors first called Gautam Gambhir back in, but following the discovery that he has contracted jaundice, he had to be left out again. Eventually they called up Suresh Raina as the back up batsman. Ajinkya Rahane's chances of finding a place in the starting side has improved with this call.

The irony of this homework issue is that, if Clarke is ruled out of the 4th test then Watson who is flying back will end up captaining the side

After he was axed from the national team at the beginning of this series, Gautam Gambhir had gone back to domestic cricket and found some form. He had scored a ton against the Australians in a warm up match for India A, and did well for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare ODI trophy and the Sayd Mushtaq Ali T-20 tournament with a couple of 50s. Don't think he was back to his consistent best as he had a pretty poor deodhar trophy zonal ODI tournament. Dhawan's freak injury after a fabulous innings had opened a door for Gauti, but its got shut on him soon after.

huge blow for the aussies that Mitchell Starc is going home to have ankle surgery....their batting line up will suffer!!