India vs Australia, 2nd Test: It's advantage Australia on Day 3 - The Indian Express

A day which could have gone either way goes Australia’s way. The hosts, after some hiccups at the start, did a fine job to take a crucial first-innings lead. Here’s a look at the major turning points of the day:

The last stand

Reduced to 247/6, Australia had their backs to the wall. They were staring at conceding a lead well over hundred with Steve Smith the only specialist batsman for the hosts. Knowing Australia the team they are, a fight was on the cards.

But what happened next was an assault. An Aussie assault.

Mitchell Johnson walked out to bat and injected a fresh lease of life in the middle. Ball after ball he kept tonking the listless Indian bowlers, who had nothing going their way. Anything short was pulled, full was driven, and wide was hammered. Runs started to come in boundaries, and the duo, in no time, took the score past 350.

The partnership was broken after Ishant Sharma’s double blows in the same over, but by then the job was done. A 148-run stand was enough to push India on the mat.

Wayward India

It was disturbing to see how India bowled to Australia’s tail-enders. They were giving them way too much respect and expected them to get out like the top-order does – fishing around off, driving on the cup, cutting too close and stuff like that.

A couple of nasty bouncers followed by toe-crushers would have been a perfect dose, but it was nowhere to be seen. They continued to run in hard only to see the ball hit the fence at double the speed.

Plug the leak

Indian seamers are giving away way too many runs for a captain’s liking. While Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron went at over five an over, Umesh Yadav was just above four. Together, the Indian seam bowling trio conceded 53 boundaries.

Yes, 53 boundaries in a Test match is not a funny figure. If the bowlers continue to bowl the way they are, Indian batsmen should be prepared to chase down 400 plus on consistent basis.

Disciplined Watson

Shane Watson, filling in for an injured Mitchell Marsh, bowled one of the finest spells of fast bowling. He operated in the corridor of uncertainty and kept the flow of runs under check.