India v Australia: Cheteshwar Pujara leads India as Virat Kohli falls cheaply again in Ranchi

Pat Cummins has continued his barnstorming return to Test cricket, but Cheteshwar Pujara made life difficult for Australia in the third Test.

An Australian victory is looking less likely by the over after Pujara notched his 11th Test century as India batted all day in Ranchi to finish day three on 6-360, trailing by 91 runs.

He was unbeaten on 130 at stumps — his resistance in stark contrast to the lack of fight shown by captain Virat Kohli (6), who endured his fifth-straight failure of the series.

Kohli, who spent two days off the field nursing an injured shoulder, lasted just 23 balls before going too hard at a Cummins delivery and nicking to his counterpart, Steve Smith.

It was one of Cummins' four scalps in the innings, which also included opener KL Rahul on day two, with Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane (14) and Ravi Ashwin (3) all succumbing to the seamer on day three.
Playing his second Test six years after his seven-wicket debut in South Africa in 2011, Cummins was one of the only Australian bowlers who



regularly threatened.

Josh Hazlewood was his usual economical self, Steve O'Keefe spent most of the day pitching outside the leg stump and Nathan Lyon was used relatively sparingly.

It all came in the face of remarkable resistance from Pujara, who was 10 not out with India 1-120 to start day three.

The number three was fortunate to make it through a review while on 22, when an Aussie LBW review was ignored despite evidence suggesting the ball hit his pad before the edge of his bat.
But he carried on unfazed even as Murali Vijay (82), with whom he shared a 102-run partnership, threw his wicket away with an ill-advised charge in the final over before lunch.

Kohli and Rahane fell in the second session, with Karun Nair (23) and Ashwin also returning to the sheds after tea.

Ashwin was adamant he had not edged behind to Matthew Wade, although the technology suggested otherwise, and Wriddhiman Saha (18 not out) joined Pujara at the crease.

The pair batted out the rest of the day in a glacial 57-run final session.