Related Links: Australia Tour of India 2012/13 | India Vs Australia, 3rd Test Scorecard
Australia are facing the tough task of saving a Test match on Day 5 on a spinning track at Mohali. They have already lost three wickets and their Skipper Michael Clarke is yet to bat because of a recurring lower back spasm. All the three Aussie wickets fell to medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who got the ball to swing around and with low bounce was a genuine threat to the visitors.
The visitors still have 16 more runs to clear before moving into an overall lead. They otherwise had a good fourth day by bowling out India for 499 to restrict the hosts’ lead to 91 runs. The fourth day started with India supremely placed at 283 for no loss. Shikhar Dhawan who was eyeing a double hundred on Test debut could add only two runs to his overnight score of 185 before he was tamely caught off the splice of the bat at silly point in a hard frontfoot defence off Nathan Lyon.
Cheteshwar Pujara had a short stay because of a wrong umpiring error from Aleem Dar who gave him out lbw despite the batsman getting an inside edge onto the pad off a full ball from Peter Siddle. Meanwhile Murali Vijay got through a 3rd Test century with all the three 100s coming against Australia. Vijay had a good stand with Sachin Tendulkar (37) before the little master got caught bat pad gloving a jumping leg break from Steven Smith just prior to lunch.
India lost the plot completely after lunch as the second new ball saw Mitchell Starc remove centurion Murali Vijay (153 from 317 balls with 19 fours and 3 sixes) who offered no shot to an inswinger to get out lbw and MS Dhoni skipping down the track and getting lbw to a yorker. Peter Siddle accounted with the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin with both of them nicking his away going deliveries. India somehow managed to squeeze out a total of 499 thanks to Virat Kohli’s 67* (from 129 balls with 7 fours) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 18. Peter Siddle finished things for the Aussies taking a 7th five-wicket haul which restricted the Indian lead to 91 runs.
By the close of play on Day 4, Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck thrice to put India in the driver’s seat. David Warner was caught behind playing a rash square cut and getting caught behind in the very first over of the innings. Ed Cowan was given out lbw to a delivery that swung back late and kept low. Steven Smith at no.4 got his off stump uprooted by a late away swinger which was drifting in towards middle. The Aussies look vulnerable at 75 for 3 by the close of play although Phil Hughes who has struggled for runs chanced his arms to score a quick unbeaten 53. Skipper Michael Clarke held himself back and sent in night watchman Nathan Lyon who managed to survive for the day.