So far so good

Adelaide, December 8

Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli thwarted Australia in a diligent partnership to push India to a position of strength and a 166-run lead at the close of Day 3 of the first Test. Brought together before tea with India vulnerable at 76/2, the pair stood firm through the best part of a session before spinner Nathan Lyon snared Kohli for 34 to end their 71-run stand at Adelaide Oval.

Kohli foxed

Pujara survived  with an unbeaten 40, with No. 5 Ajinkya Rahane (1) under a cloudy sky. Lyon was denied Pujara’s wicket twice by the Decision Review System, so his Kohli breakthrough was a relief after a long afternoon’s toil. Deceiving the Indian talisman with flight and dip, he caught Kohli’s inside edge and the nick popped up to Aaron Finch at short leg. Dismissed for three in India’s first innings 250, Kohli was fuming to have his second knock cut short but soaked up 104 balls to frustrate the home crowd.

Having conceded a 15-run lead after being dismissed for 235 before lunch, the home side will be desperate for early wickets on Day 4 to retain hopes of containing the tourists.

With only 250 to defend, India’s bowlers could take great pride in restricting Australia to 235. With lusty tail-end cameos by Mitchell Starc (15) and Nathan Lyon (24*), Australia looked set to race past India’s total after resuming on 191/7 in the rain-delayed morning. But Mohammed Shami swung the momentum back to India and in on a hat-trick after claiming the final two wickets of batsman Travis Head (72) and No. 11 Josh Hazlewood (0).

India’s openers put on a 63-run opening stand to press the advantage before Australia fought back to remove them both. Hazlewood had KL Rahul caught behind for 44 after fellow seamer Starc snared Murali Vijay in the slips for 18, both batsmen again falling to loose shots after soft dismissals in the first innings. — Reuters

Pant equals dhoni’s record

6Rishabh Pant took six catches during Australia’s first  innings to equal predecessor MS Dhoni’s record of the most catches by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test innings. The 21-year-old had a hand in dismissing Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb and Tim Paine on the second day before pouching on to edges off Mitchell Starc, Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood’s willow on Saturday. He equalled the record after taking Hazlewood’s catch off Mohammed Shami. In 2009, Dhoni had achieved his record feat during the Wellington Test against New Zealand