India all out on 163, sets a target of 76 runs for the Aussies

On day 2 of the third test match, The Visitors-led by Steve Smith produced a similar show on the second day of the play in the third Test against India in Indore after dominating the scenes on Day 1. Australia bundled team India for 163 in the second innings. The Visitors currently trail by 2-0 in the four-match series, and now need 76 runs to win the contest and make it 2-1 before heading for the fourth and final test of the BGT series.

The veteran Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon ruled the bowling charts, after scalping 8 wickets in the second innings and claiming his 23rd test fifer, notably his 9th test fifer against India. Lyon was also well supported by Todd Murphy and Mitchell Starc also picked a wicket each.

Meanwhile, For the Hosts, Pujara emerged as the standout batter from the Indian camp, scoring a resilient 59 off 142 balls that included 5 fours and 1 six in his gutsy innings before the stand-in skipper Smith plucked a blinder at leg slips to bring an end to his stay in the middle. Earlier, Usman Khawaja too had grabbed a blinder at short mid-wicket in the innings to dismiss Iyer for 26 off 27 balls who was smashing the ball well. India's gun bowler Umesh Yadav breathed fire in the opening session as he scalped three wickets to help India wrap the Visitors' first innings for 197.

The Aussies, however, took a healthy lead of 88 runs on this red soil which produced a lot of help for the spinners. The second day started with Green and Handscomb providing AUS with an ideal start. Both added 30 runs to the overnight total of 156/4 before Ashwin removed Handscomb for 19. Rohit Sharma then introduced Umesh, who dismissed Green (21) in his first over and went to remove Starc with a beauty in the next. For the Hosts, Jadeja with the most (4), and Umesh and Ashwin both got (3) wickets each in the second innings. 

Batting first after winning the toss, IND's first innings was reduced to 109 runs. In response, AUS' first innings were reduced to 197 runs today. The Hosts scored 163 runs in the second innings and set a target of 76 runs in front of Australia.

Even in the second innings, India had a bad start as the opener Shubman Gill was clean-bowled by Lyon after scoring five runs. The skipper of the side Rohit Sharma also became the victim of Lyon and got LBW on 12 runs. After this Virat Kohli also could not do anything special and got out LBW on the ball of Kuhnemann after scoring 13 off 26 balls. The number one all-rounder in the test Ravindra Jadeja was also trapped by Lyon on 07. After this Cheteshwar Pujara along with Shreyas Iyer tried to handle the innings and took India's lead to 27, both shared a 35-run partnership before Iyer lost his wicket by giving a catch to Khawaja off Starc on 26 off 27 balls that included 3 fours and 2 sixes in his blistering knock.

Shortly after that, Nathan Lyon clean-bowled KS Bharat and gave India the sixth blow on 03. Meanwhile, Pujara scored his 35th half-century in his Test career and this was his 16th half-century against Australia. Pujara was dismissed for a fighting knock of 59 off 142 balls. In his innings, he hit five fours and a six. Lyon then wrapped up India's innings after taking the wickets of Umesh and Siraj within no time.