IND 254/6 - India vs Australia, 4th Test, Dharamsala, Day 3: Jadeja, Saha in focus

India are in a tricky situation against Australia, going into the third day of the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala. A lot would depend on Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja if India, 254-6, want to take a lead against Australia (300 all out). The series is level at 1-1 and only a win would ensure that India reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Australia, who triumphed at home in 2014-15, need just a draw to retain the trophy. Catch live cricket score of India vs Australia Dharamsala Test here. 

9:38 am: Josh Hazlewood bowls the second over and apart from a drive from Saha there is not worth mentionable about Indian. The Australian bowler has got bounce. India 250/6

9:34 am: LBW appeal off the third ball! Cummins pitched the ball outside leg and it hit the thigh roll . No danger for India yet. India 248/6

9:32 am: What drama! Saha given out caught behind off Cummins off the first ball. Jadeja goes for DRS immediately and replays shows that the ball did not touch the bat. India 248/6

9:30 am: Action starts: Pat Cummins to bowl the first over!

9:25 am: Meanwhile, in Barbados, Shadab Khan produced a brilliant performance on his debut to guide Pakistan to a comfortable six-wicket win over West Indies in the first T20 international | Read here

9:20 am: Lyon, who picked four wickets on Sunday, earlier said the pitches have helped Australian bowlers. Read | Dharamsala pitch is very similar to wickets in Australia

9:15 am: Australia would be happy with the way their pacers performed in the first session yesterday. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were constantly troubling Indian batsmen with their pace and bounce.

9:10 am: Ravindra Jadeja (16*) on the hand has six half-centuries in Tests, with his highest score being 90. He needs to



replicate that same form for India today

9:05 am: Saha (10*) scored a match-saving 117 in Ranchi and he needs to replicate that form today. Quite a few Indian batsmen were guilty were throwing their wickets on Day 2. There is no room for such mistake today.

9:00 am: A lead even of 10-20 runs will give India a psychological edge, whereas for Australia getting the last four wickets within 20 runs will be a huge bonus

Get live cricket score of India vs Australia here

8:55 am: Nathan Lyon took four wickets on Day 2 and now has 63 wickets against India - joint second highest wicket-taker with Lance Gibbs as a spinner.

8:50 am: A very big day for the Indians as it might decide the course of the match. Saha and Jadeja are the last recognised batsmen in the current line-up and their stand may well decide if India will win the match or not. The hosts are still 52 runs behind.

On Day 3, Fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood (1-40) and Pat Cummins (1-59) bowled their hearts out during frugal spells to restrict the top-ranked hosts to 248-6 at stumps.

Also, Nathan Lyon made the most of a lively track at Dharamsala, which is hosting its first-ever Test, to return a rich haul of 4-67.

The Indian batsmen, who are without Virat Kohli, were guilty of squandering good starts on the third day and shouldn’t repeat the mistake on the fourth. For India, KL Rahul (60), Cheteshwar Pujara (57) and Ajinkya Rahane (46) begun well but couldn’t get big scores.

The final session on Day 3 saw another grueling contest between the bat and the ball with the hosts scoring 95 runs while losing four wickets.

With three more days of play remaining, the pressure is on India to deliver in the season-ending contest.