Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Times of India
The Times of India
Sport
Partha Bhaduri | TNN

India vs Australia, 3rd Test: India get a taste of own medicine

Kuhnemann & Co dismiss hosts for 109 on treacherous turner

INDORE: India were hoist by their own petard on the first day of the third Test. It had to happen, eventually, this falling-in-one's-own-trap thing, this inability to avoid a predictable snare of one's own making.

Captain Rohit Sharma was acutely aware of this and even spoke about it a day before this Test, about "what has happened to them (Australia) in this series could happen to us, because of the (turning) pitches". On Wednesday, the first day of the third Test, it did.

Rookie left-arm orthodox spinner Matthew Kuhnemann's first five-wicket haul (5/16 off 9 overs) and Usman Khawaja's hard-working 60 ensured Australia ended Day One 47 vital runs ahead after, on a raging turner which offered more help in the morning session, Australia's spinners ran rings around India's batsmen.

The Holkar Stadium wicket was prepared to India's expectations - dry, diabolical at times even, offering turn, keeping low, behaving as it wanted, much like the traffic at one of Indore's many chaotic roundabouts.

"Jadeja is a first-rate cricketer. But he is also a serial offender in terms of no-balls. In the first two Tests, he bowled six of them, more than the entire Australian team. A spinner doing it regularly is unacceptable. The let-off that Labuschagne enjoyed due to his error stopped an early Indian recovery. The allrounder has also often been off the mark when pushing for a DRS. The team management should work with him to rectify these flaws.-TimesView"

Instead of serving only Ashwin and Jadeja, however, the pitch chose to yield its treasures also to Australia's tweakers. Nathan Lyon (3/35 in 11. 2) and the redoubtable Todd Murphy, who foxed India's best batsman on the day, Virat Kohli (22 off 52), also had their moments.

1/10:3rd Test: India implode against Australia on Day 1

AFP

2/10:Pitch bamboozles one and all

<p>Indian batsmen are reputed to be good players of quality spin. But the Holkar Stadium pitch bamboozled one and all. </p>AFP

3/10:Bite, turn, uneven bounce

<p>It had bite, turn, and enough uneven bounce to flummox the Indian batsmen. </p>AFP

4/10:​Rohit Sharma

<p>Rohit Sharma (12) charged down the pitch against Matthew Kuhnemann, but the ball beat him in the air, turned away to miss his swinging bat and he was stumped by Alex Carey.</p>Getty Images

5/10:​Shubman Gill

<p>Shubman Gill (21) looked composed in his brief stay at the wicket but Kuhnemann struck again in his next over and had him caught by Smith at first slip.</p>Getty Images

6/10:Cheteshwar Pujara

<p>Nathan Lyon struck off his second delivery via a delivery that stayed low and turned sharply in from outside off-stump to castle Cheteshwar Pujara (1).</p>Getty Images

7/10:​Ravindra Jadeja

<p>Ravindra Jadeja (4) survived a review but was caught in the covers off the very next ball by Kuhnemann off Lyon. </p>Getty Images

8/10:​Shreyas Iyer

<p>Shreyas Iyer (0) edged a Kuhnemann delivery onto his stumps as India lost half their side with just 45 runs on the board. </p>AP

9/10:Virat Kohli

<p>Todd Murphy trapped former Indian captain Virat Kohli (22) plumb in front of his stumps and reduced India to 70/6. </p>Getty Images

10/10:Srikar Bharat

<p>Lyon took his third wicket when he dismissed Srikar Bharat (17) LBW to make it worse for India at 82/7. </p>Getty Images
3rd Test: India implode against Australia on Day 1

All this unfolded over a bizarre, electrifying and breathless turn of events in the morning which saw India lose 7 wickets for 84 runs in 26 overs, all to spin, and then get all out shortly after lunch for 109 in 33.2 overs.

When Australia batted after them, the pitch seemed to have calmed down, something India's batting coach Vikram Rathour attributed to "early morning moisture" among other factors. India, however, were inspired enough by Australia's performance to open the bowling with Ashwin and Jadeja, though both struggled with their lengths.

1/10:3rd Test: Australia on top after Kuhnemann's five-for against India

2/10:Aussies grab early advantage after skittling India for 109

<p>Australia grabbed the early advantage with a lead of 47 on Wednesday after Matthew Kuhnemann's five-wicket haul helped dismiss India for 109 on a dramatic first day of the third Test.<br /></p>Getty Images

3/10:Australia 156-4 at stumps on Day 1

<p>The tourists were 156-4 at stumps after Usman Khawaja hit a gritty 60 to drive his team's reply on a viciously turning pitch in Indore.<br /></p>ANI

4/10:Jadeja picks all four Australian wickets

<p>Peter Handscomb, on seven, and Cameron Green, on six, were batting at close of play. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja took all four Australian wickets.<br /></p>PTI

5/10:Gritty half-century by Khawaja

<p>Khawaja stood out with his 21st Test half-century and a 96-run second-wicket stand with Marnus Labuschagne, who made 31.<br /></p>IANS

6/10:Labuschagne gets a reprieve

<p>Labuschagne, who tops the Test batsman rankings, won a reprieve on nought when Jadeja was adjudged to have overstepped the crease.<br /></p>ANI

7/10:Khawaja falls after putting Australia ahead

<p>The left-handed Khawaja fell with an attempted sweep, caught at deep mid-wicket after putting Australia ahead of India's first-innings total.<br /></p>AFP

8/10:Smith fails to convert good start

<p>Stand-in skipper Steve Smith looked good in his knock of 26 before being caught behind.<br /></p>PTI

9/10:Maiden five-wicket haul for Kuhnemann

<p>Left-arm spinner Kuhnemann returned his maiden five-wicket haul in just his second Test and bowled out India soon after lunch with the help of senior spinner Nathan Lyon, who took three.<br /></p>AFP

10/10:Kuhnemann foxes skipper Rohit

<p>It brought instant reward in a frenetic opening session on a spinning minefield with a low bounce, as Kuhnemann had captain Rohit Sharma stumped for 12.<br /></p>PTI
3rd Test: Australia on top after Kuhnemann's five-for against India

India were completely outplayed in two sessions by Australia for the first time in the series and made to grind hard for wickets post-tea. As usual, Ravindra Jadeja, who was batting within the first hour in the morning, was on point with ball in hand (4/63 off 24 overs), picking up all four Aussie wickets to fall.

At stumps, Australia were 156/4 and clearly having the upper hand, although the late dismissal of Steve Smith off a beauty from Jadeja kept things interesting heading into Day Two.

The Aussie batters applied themselves better, largely avoiding the pitfalls which had plagued them in Delhi, and India's spinners had too few runs to defend. Some in-out fields facilitated easy singles, enabling Marnus Labuschagne and Khawaja to put on a 96-run second wicket partnership which would have given India the jitters.

Rohit's double reprieve

It all began in spectacular fashion in the morning after India opted to bat. The returning Mitchell Starc managed to kiss the edge of Rohit Sharma's bat first ball, but the Aussies didn't review since Nitin Menon refused to lift a finger.Replays showed an edge.

1/10:3rd Test: India sink to new low against Australia on Day 1

AP

2/10:Matthew Kuhnemann

<p>Australia spinner Matthew Kuhnemann took 5/16 as India were bundled out for 109 runs in their first innings on the first day of the third Test in Indore. </p>Getty Images

3/10:4th lowest Test total vs Australia at home

<p>This is India's fourth lowest Test total against Australia at home after 104 in Mumbai (2004) and 105 and 107 in Pune (2017). </p>IANS

4/10:India's eighth lowest Test total against Australia

<p>This is also India's eighth lowest Test total against Australia ever and their joint 29th lowest Test total overall. </p>PTI

5/10:​India bowled out

<p>India were bowled out just after lunch on the first day, after winning the toss and opting to bat on what is really a devilish pitch. </p>AP

6/10:​India's aggressive approach

<p>India's aggressive approach on a track offering vicious turn backfired as they capitulated in just 33.2 overs after opting to bat. </p>PTI

7/10:Turning pitch

<p>Like the last two Tests, the pitch was expected to offer plenty of turn but the ball turned square in the first hour of play and the odd one kept low.</p>AFP

8/10:Turn and bounce

<p>Big turn and variable bounce made life difficult for Indian batsmen.</p>AFP

9/10:​The pitch

<p>The pitch also has variable bounce with the top surface exploding with almost every delivery.</p>AFP

10/10:Maiden Test five-wicket haul

<p>Australia's spinners exploited those conditions wonderfully, led by a first Test five-for from Kuhnemann. </p>AP
3rd Test: India sink to new low against Australia on Day 1

Fourth ball, Starc got Rohit out again, sneaking one in through the inside edge and brushing the back pad along the way. Replays showed the ball would have been hitting the stumps, and still there was no review!

Day of DRS bloopers

It was a hard day for both cricketers and umpires, and the bloopers with the DRS continued when India took the field. India struck gold with a referral of Travis Head, then went gung-ho and simply gave away two reviews in desperation. Then they didn't take the review when Ashwin finally appeared to have breached Labuschagne's defences in the 11th over, prompting captain Rohit Sharma to break into a wry smile when he saw the replays on the big screen.

These DRS blunders cost India in what is likely to be a low-scoring affair. To add insult to injury, Marnus Labuschagne (31 off 91) was dismissed by Jadeja for only 7 off a no-ball, an incident which seemed to deflate Rohit Sharma's men for the good part of an hour.

Aussie spinners show the way

When India batted, Kuhnemann was the pick of the lot as soon as spin was introduced in the 6th over of the day, bowling some good old-fashioned left-arm spin and letting the pitch do the rest. The unexpected turn and bounce induced Rohit to step out and get beaten. Gill poked at one turning away from him when looking to defend, and the low bounce and slow pitch took care of Shreyas Iyer.

Murphy got the resolute Kohli for the third time in three Tests.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.