Highlights - India vs Australia, 3rd Test: AUS escape after Ravindra Jadeja 4/54

The third Test match between India and Australia ended in a draw in Ranchi after Australia were 204/6 in their second innings at the end of Day 5. Australia lost a couple of wickets early on Day 4, but Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb stitched together a brilliant partnership that proved to be the saving grace for the visitors. For India, Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma took one wicket each. Catch Day 5 highlights of India vs Australia here. (SCORECARD)

5:07 PM: The final Test match of the series will start from March 25 in Dharamshala. The four-Test series is tied 1-1.

5:02 PM:

5:00 PM: “Jadeja is unbelievable. He is gun in the field too. I have never seen anyone bowl so economically for so long ever. “ - Virat Kohli on Ravindra Jadeja.

4:56 PM:

4:53 PM: Talking about the next match, Indian captain Virat Kohli said, “Dharamsala, no different from what I have done here. We have given our best here, and as long as we keep doing that, I am sure we will get ourselves into winning positions.”

4:49 PM: ‘I never thought I will face so many balls’ - Pujara after winning the man of the match award.

4:48 PM: Talking about Wriddhiman Saha’s innings, Virat Kohli said, “This is the best I have watched him bat. Saha did it in West Indies, he did it in Calcutta as well, and here under pressure, he really stood up. You feel happy for him because he is such a wonderful guy. Always smiling, always happy for whoever achieves anything.”

4:47 PM: “Losing the toss here was never easy. Not being able to take the field and watching the opposition get big runs was difficult. But we batted beautifully. KL and M Vijay, but the partnership between Saha and Pujara is the best I have seen. We didn’t expect a 150 lead. “, said Virat Kohli after the match.

4:46 PM: Cheteshwar Pujara is the man of the match for his brilliant double century!

4:45 PM: Steve Smith also said: “That’s the way we want him to play. Pat Cummins, in his first game in a very long time, he bowled beautifully. Not too foten you spend 210 overs in the field. It was a long two days. The boys really dug deep. I am really proud. Massive game in Dharamsala, can’t wait to get there.”

4:43 PM: “A pretty good test. Proud of the way the boys stuck it out. That’s what we want to be. Resilient. They played beautifully today. They didn’t look like they would get out for a while. It was crucial for us, at such an important time. It was important to score big first-innings run, we left ourselves a bit short there. 450 was not enough to win this match. Maxwell was sensational.

4:40 PM: Thanks to this result, the series remains 1-1 and the fourth Test in Dharamshala will be even more significant now!

4:35 PM:

4:30 PM: “It was a challenging day,” says Shaun Marsh. “To get that result is a fantastic effort from the group. I was trying to stick to my plans. Really happy. You are trying not to think about the rough. Just play the ball.”

“Obviously tough conditions. Coming with the result we wanted, looking forward to Dharamsala. Always liked playing against spin. Always tried to run down the wicket. Nice to bring those skills here against the best team in the world in their conditions. After three Tests to be 1-1 is great, against such a talented team in their own conditions.”

4:23 PM: That’s all for the day! The Ranchi Test has ended in a draw!

4:21 PM: Handscomb moves on to 72 with the 7th boundary of his innings. AUS 204/6

4:19 PM: Another boundary for Matthew Wade and 200 comes up for Australia.

4:17 PM: Handscomb (68*) stands tall. AUS 196/6

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4:14 PM: Matthew Wade opens his account with a boundary. AUS 196/6

4:09 PM: It was a bat-pad from Maxwell and Murali Vijay made no mistake in catching the ball. It was Ashwin’s first wicket of this innings. AUS 191/6

4:08 PM: OUT! Another wicket as Ashwin removes Maxwell for 2!

4:06 PM: Two strong appeals for India, but the ball was missing the stumps both times. AUS 190/5

4:03 PM: Handscomb (67*) is still there at the crease and he has truly been a revelation for the Aussies. AUS 190/5

4:00 PM: Ashwin introduced into the attack. Can India pull off a miracle?

3:56 PM: It was a loose shot from Marsh and Murali Vijay made no mistake in completing the catch. AUS 187/5

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3:54 PM: OUT! The breakthrough is finally here as Jadeja dismisses Marsh for 53

3:51 PM: A short ball and Handscomb dispatches it for a boundary. AUS 187/4

3:47 PM: 90 overs gone. Australia are 183 for the loss of 4 wickets. Catch Day 5 live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

3:43 PM: Handscomb (60*) have been the star for Australia on Day 5 and he was provided able support by Shaun Marsh (53*). AUS 182/4

3:37 PM: It’s the last hour of the Test match and the result will be dependent on how Handscomb (60*) and Marsh (52*) deals with the spinners. AUS 180/4

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3:30 PM: Shaun Marsh (528) brings up his 7th Test half century. AUS 180/4

3:23 PM:

3:21 PM: NOT OUT! Shaun Marsh (48*) survives as the umpire’s not-out decision stands. AUS 172/4

3:19 PM: LBW appeal and denied once again. But, India have taken a review.

3:13 PM: Minimum 16.4 overs left in the day and this partnership will be the key for Australia! AUS 172/4

3:08 PM: 79 overs gone. Australia are 170/4 (Handscomb 56*, Marsh 46*)

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3:05 PM: Jadeja bowls outside the off stump and Handscomb (56*) dispatches it for a boundary. AUS 170/4

3:00 PM: A huge LBW call but given not out by the umpire. Sadly, India had no review left. IND 166/4

2:56 PM: Peter Handscomb (50*) brings up his half century in 126 balls! AUS 163/4

2:53 PM: 74 overs gone. Australia are 159 for the loss of 4 wickets.

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2:48 PM: Handscomb (45*) and Marsh (44*) continue to fight as Australia take the lead. AUS 156/4

2:44 PM: Scores are level! AUS 152/4

2:41 PM: 150 comes up for Australia for the loss of 4 wickets.Catch Day 5 live cricket score of India vs Australia here. Marsh (39*) and Handscomb (45*) are fighting on for the Aussies.

2:38 PM: MS Dhoni is in the house! The former India skipper is present at his home ground to watch India in action. IND 149/4

2:36 PM: NOT OUT! The ball clipped the wicket but it was given not out due to umpire’s call. IND 149/4

2:35 PM: ANOTHER REVIEW! India have gone for a LBW appeal and they have reviewed the decision.

2:31 PM: HUGE APPEAL! Saha knocks the bails with Marsh on crease, off Ashwin’s bowling. But replays shows his over-stretched legs were well inside the line. IND 149/4

2:31 PM: The final session has started. India need wickets of they are to win this Test.

2:13 PM: The Aussies did not lose a single wicket in this session and the Marsh-Handscomb pair can turn out to be the saviour for their team. AUS 149/4

2:11 PM: It’s tea on Day 2 with Australia batting on 149/4. Catch live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

2:06 PM: Ashwin wanted to go for the review, but was denied by Virat Kohli as he thought the ball was missing the leg stump. AUS 146/4

2:02 PM:

1:57 PM: Marsh and Handscomb keep the strike rotating as Australia trail by 8 runs. AUS 144/4

1:51 PM: Australia are trailing by 11 runs. The partnership between Marsh and Handscomb have been a Godsend for the Aussies. AUS 141/4

1:46 PM: Easy runs for Australia as India concede 4 runs on over throws. AUS 139/4

1:37 PM: 59 overs gone. India are 132 for the loss of 4 wickets. Catch live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

1:33 PM: Australia are trailing by just 20 runs. AUS 132/4

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1:28 PM: Another boundary! It was a really expensive over from Ashwin! AUS 131/4

1:27 PM: Second boundary of the over for Handscomb as he moves on to 25. AUS 127/4

1:24 PM: The 50-run partnership between Handscomb and Marsh comes up thanks to a boundary from the left-hander. AUS 118/4

1:21 PM: Ravindra Jadeja is back in the attack and all eyes will be on the off-spinner as India look to break their partnership. AUS 113/4

1:17 PM: 55 overs gone. Australia are 113 for the loss of 4 wickets.

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1:09 PM: The moment of the day till now was clearly when Jadeja uprooted Steve Smith’s off stump.

1:03 PM: 14 balls. No run. The battle to save the Test continues for Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb. AUS 108/4

12:55 PM: The last review was so bad even Virat Kohli apologised to his team after the decision. AUS 106/4

12:52 PM: It was a strong LBW appeal from India, but the ball was pitching outside the leg stump. NOT OUT. AUS 106/4

12:47 PM: The partnership between Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb has already reached 42 runs. This can prove crucial in the context of the game. AUS 105/4

12:41 PM: Another boundary for Shaun Marsh as Australia crosses 100 for the loss of 4 wickets.

12:39 PM: Umesh Yadav is trying to induce the edge by bowling outside the off stump and the Aussie batters have come really close to giving away their wicket! AUS 96/4

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12:34 PM: Both Handscomb and Marsh are playing quite sensibly and it seems that a good partnership is slowly forming between the two. AUS 96/4

12:30 PM: A solid shot by Shaun Marsh and Australia get the first boundary of this session. AUS 96/4

12:28 PM: The ball from Umesh Yadav kept low but Handscomb was able to get his bat down at the very last moment. AUS 92/4

12:23 PM: 39 overs gone. Australia are 90 for the loss of 4 wickets.Catch Day 5 live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

Catch live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

12:17 PM: Ashwin to bowl the second over after lunch. Looks like Jadeja will be given a bit of a break. AUS 86/4

12:15 PM: Umesh Yadav strays down the leg side and its 2 more runs for Australia. AUS 86/4

12:11 PM: We are back for the second session of this exciting encounter. Catch Day 5 live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

12:05 PM:

11:56 AM: A throwback to the brilliant double century scored by Cheteshwar Pujara which helped India in gaining the advantage in the Ranchi Test.

11:51 AM: Here’s what happened when Matt Renshaw clashed with a fired up Ishant Sharma earlier in the day.

11:48 AM: The two big wickets, and just 60 runs conceded. This has been a good session for India and one quick wicket in the second session and it will surely be game over for Australia. AUS 83/4

11:37 AM: It was a good start for Australia, but the wickets by Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have left them in a bit of mess.

Catch live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

11:33 AM: That’s lunch on Day 5 with Australia on 83 for the loss of 4 wickets.

11:30 AM: Australia have won just one match in India after scoring 400+ in the first innings. Will the curse continue? AUS 82/4

11:27 AM: Finally, Ashwin gets an over on Day 5! Catch Day 5 live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

11:24 AM: A boundary for Shaun Marsh as he drives the loose ball from Jadeja for a four. AUS 78/4

11:17 AM: Still no sign of Ravichandran Ashwin. It is quite curious to see how Virat Kohli uses his best spinner. AUS 74/4

11:12 AM: The two overs have changed the game completely as India are firmly in control of the match and another wicket in this session can clinch the match for them. AUS 64/4

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11:09 AM: Peter Handscomb is the new man in for Australia. AUS 63/4

11:06 AM:

11:04 hrs IST: It was yet another turner from Jadeja and the ball uprooted the off stump of Steve Smith! The Aussie skipper played for the straighter one, but the ball pitched on a crack and got a good amount of spin. AUS 63/4

11:03 AM: OUT! Double delight for India as Jadeja castles Smith for 23.

11:01 AM: Shaun Marsh is the new batsman for the visitors. AUS 63/3

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10:59 AM: It was a straight ball from Ishant and it hit Renshaw plumb in front of the off stump. AUS 63/3

10:56 AM: OUT! Finally Ishant Sharma gets the breakthrough as Renshaw departs for 18.

10:51 AM: The controversies never seem to stop as Ishant Sharma has a small squabble with Steve Smith. AUS 59/2

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10:48 AM: 27 overs gone. Australia are 59 for the loss of 2 wickets.

10:43 AM: The ball hits a crack on the pitch and the unusual bounce beats Wriddhiman completely as the ball runs away for a boundary. AUS 58/2

10:40 AM: Ishant strays down the leg side and is dispatched for a boundary by Steve Smith. 50 comes up for Australia. AUS 53/2

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10:35 AM: Finally a run for Australia after 10 balls. It seems that the Aussies are looking to bat through the day and not even thinking about posting a big total for India. AUS 49/2

10:28 AM: Matt Renshaw has looked quite tentative today and his weakness against spin can turn out to be his bane. AUS 48/2

10:22 AM: First bowling change for India as Ishant Sharma is introduced in the attack. IND 45/2

10:20 AM: Virat Kohli has been quite aggressive from the start of the day with two close fielders deployed for Jadeja at all times. IND 45/2

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10:17 hrs IST:

10:12 AM: 20 overs gone. Australia are 40 for the loss of 2 wickets.

10:08 AM: The bounce has been quite low from the start of the day and it can get worse as the match progresses. AUS 40/2

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10:04 AM: A big shout from Ravindra Jadeja but the ball missed the Matt Renshaw’s edge by a hard small margin. IND 38/2

10:00 AM: The last time a visiting team fought out a draw after falling behind in the first innings in India was in 2010-11. AUS 37/2

9:55 AM: The last time Australia batted out a draw was in 2011 against Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo.AUS 36/2

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9:50 AM: It has been a disappointing series for both David Warner and Virat Kohli as the batters came into it with a great run of form behind them but have failed to fire till now. AUS 34/2

9:47 AM: Let us know what you think will happen in this match.

9:43 AM: Umesh Yadav has used the bouncer quite well this morning and as Pat Cummins proved for Australia, the short delivery can be a lethal weapon of this track. AUS 33/2

9:40 AM: Umesh Yadav is bowling from the other side. It seems that Kohli is saving Ashwin for later and not starting with an all-spin policy. AUS 31/2

9:36 AM: The first boundary of the day for Steve Smith as he caresses the ball in between point and cover. AUS 30/2

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9:34 AM: A couple of deliveries got odd bounces due to the cracks in the pitch and it can be bad news for the visitors as they are still 126 runs behind. AUS 26/2

9:32 AM: That’s the end of the first over. Not much turn till now. AUS 26/2

9:31 AM: The match is underway!

9:28 AM: We are moments away from the start of the match and Ravindra Jadeja will start the proceedings! AUS 23/2

9:25 hrs AM:

9:19 hrs AM: One of the highlights of Day 4 was Virat Kohli’s celebration after David Warner’s wicket in the last session. The Indian captain hit back at Australia over alleged mockery of his shoulder injury by gesturing at his shoulder.

9:17 AM:

Catch live cricket score of India vs Australia here.

9:13 AM: All the eyes will be Aussie skipper Steve Smith as he has been the best batsman in the series for the visitors and he needs to play a big innings to save them from the initial disaster.

9:06 AM: The match looks quite rough (as can be expected from a Day 5 turf) and it will surely assist the spinners. Bad news for Australia? Let’s wait and watch.

9:00 AM: It’s advantage India at the start of the day as they took a healthy 152 run lead in the first innings and was also able to pick up two crucial wickets before stumps on Day 4.

8:55 AM: Welcome to the final day of this thrilling encounter between India and Australia!

Cheteshwar Pujara was the star on day 4 as he smashed his third double century in his career. He broke several records, including playing the longest innings by an Indian batsman in terms of balls faced. His 202 consumed 525 balls, beating the previous mark of 495 set by Rahul Dravid in 2004 in Rawalpindi. Pujara also became the third Indian player after VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar to smash two double centuries against Australia.

Giving Pujara company was Wriddhiman Saha and the Indian wicketkeeper slammed his third century and he was invovled in a 199-run stand for the seventh wicket, the best for this wicket in India vs Australia Tests. Ravindra Jadeja extended the advantage by slamming a 55-ball 54 and he made it India’s day by picking up two wickets. With Australia still trailing by 129 runs and with only eight wickets remaining, Steve Smith’s team face an uphill task as they look to save the Test on a deteriorating wicket.

“I have the experience of scoring big runs in domestic cricket. The experience matters a lot,” said Pujara after the close of day 4. His big knock and partnership with Saha has gone a long way in ensuring India take an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the four-match series.