Resuming from a precarious position of 128/5, India could only add 47 more runs before their second innings was wrapped up in just 36.5 overs on Day 3 of the second Test. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who continued to impress, was the top scorer with 42 runs.
Pat Cummins led the Australian attack, claiming his second five-wicket haul against India in Tests, while Scott Boland picked up three wickets. Mitchell Starc also contributed with two wickets as Australia now needs just 19 more runs to win, after dismissing India for 175, putting them on the verge of a remarkable comeback in the five-match series following a crushing 295-run defeat in Perth.
India’s hopes of staging a fightback were dashed early in the day as Starc got a full delivery to straighten off the seam and take Rishabh Pant’s outside edge for 28, caught at second slip. Cummins’ bouncer strategy proved effective when he found the glove edge of Ravichandran Ashwin’s attempted hook, sending him back for a duck as Alex Carey made a simple catch behind the stumps.
Reddy showed some resistance with a solid defense and even struck a few boundaries, including a one-bounce four over long-on off Boland and a six over backward square leg off Cummins. However, Cummins had the last word, getting Reddy to ramp a shot over slips, only to be caught by the third man fielder. Boland wrapped up India’s innings by dismissing Mohammed Siraj, whose mistimed shot was caught by Travis Head at mid-wicket.
With Australia needing just 19 runs to seal a victory, the stage is set for a thrilling finish.
Brief Scores: India: 180 & 175 in 36.5 overs (Nitish Kumar Reddy 42, Rishabh Pant 28; Pat Cummins 5-57, Scott Boland 3-51)Australia: 337 (lead by 18 runs)
