IND v AUS, 3rd Test, Day 5, Review: Handscomb remains unbeaten on 72, Australia manage a draw

India continued from where they left on the 4th day and piled the agony on the Australians with their brilliant bowling. The visitors lost two wickets in the opening session which has definitely put in a commanding position to take a 2-1 lead in the 4 match series. The visitors began well with captain Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw defying the Indian bowlers for the 1st hour.

The two batsmen were beaten here and there by Ravindra Jadeja but looked in control until something dramatic turned tHe match on its head. Smith began with a boundary of Umesh Yadav in the opening over of the day while Renshaw was greeted by Umesh Yadav with a well-directed bouncer.

It was in the 28th over when Ishant Sharma provided the hosts with the much-needed breakthrough when he dismissed Matt Renshaw with a beautiful inswinger. The ball came back in and thudded onto Renshaw’s pads. There was not much hesitation in the mind of Ian Gould as the ball would have gone onto crash the middle and leg.

Their celebrations knew no bounds for India when Steve Smith had a brain fade moment and left a delivery pitched on the leg stump by Ravindra Jadeja in the very next over. the ball;l turned sharply and disturbed Smith’s timbers. Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb played out the initial burst and went to lunch at 85/4. While Handscomb is batting on 4, Marsh has struck 2 boundaries in his brief innings of 15.

Australia clawed their way back into the 3rd Test after exceptional batting display by Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb ensured the visitors went to tea without losing any further wickets. They looked comfortable in the middle and was hardly troubled by any of the bowlers.

Jadeja got the ball to turn sharply occasionally but Ashwin wasn’t able to produce those magical deliveries with which we associate him the most. Both played cautiously and struck the occasional boundaries. They realised runs was as important as time because India will have to come out and chase whatever target they sets them.

Marsh who repaid the faith shown in him by the Australian selectors. He continued to play the spinners with authority and helped Australia make a dramatic comeback which might keep themselves in the hunt to win the series.

India will surely want to get the breakthrough as early as possible but with the duo going great guns draw seems the most likely result.

Australia batted superbly on the final day of the 3rd Test which enabled them to keep the 4 match series alive. Peter Handscomb carried on his exceptional display of batsmanship and remained unbeaten on 72 when stumps were taken with 2 more overs left in the day’s play.

Both Handscomb and Marsh went on to complete their well-deserved half-centuries as Australia kept on frustrating the Indian bowlers. There was hardly any assistance from the pitch which didn’t seem possible on the 4th day when Jadeja rattled the stumps of David Warner and Nathan Lyon.

Shaun Marsh was eventually dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja after the southpaw reached his half-century. He edged it straight to the short leg fielder Karun Nair. One more wicket fell in the form of Glenn Maxwell in quick succession but it too little too late as Australia played out the remaining overs to enforce a draw.

Brief Scores

Australia 1st innings- 451 all-out in 137.3 overs (Steve Smith 178*, Glenn Maxwell 104, Ravindra Jadeja 5/124, Umesh Yadav 3/106)

India 1st innings 603/9- dec in 210 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 202, Wriddhiman Saha 117, Murali Vijay 82, KL Rahul 67, Ravindra Jadeja 54, Pat Cummins 4/89)

Australia 2nd innings 204/6 in 100 overs (Peter Handscomb 72*, Shaun Marsh 53, Ravindra Jadeja 4/54)

Match Drawn