Australia lose crucial wickets; post 83/4 at lunch, trail by 69 runs

RANCHI: Australia were facing a tall order to save the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as India saw the back of Matt Renshaw and Steve Smith on the final morning on Monday.

Though the two negotiated the first hour of play without any trouble, momentum swung India's way after the drinks break as a fired-up Ishant Sharma dismissed Renshaw and Ravindra Jadeja took care of Smith as Australia went to lunch at 83/4, still 69 runs behind. Shaun Marsh (15) and Peter Handscomb (4) were in the middle.

With the pitch being rolled before the start of the play of Day 5, Renshaw and Smith, resuming the battle from overnight total of 23/2, were cautious against Jadeja, who bowled unchanged from the South Pavilion End. Targeting the rough spot, he kept troubling Renshaw with his accuracy, but the left-hander used his feet well to negotiate the turn.

With the pitch not offering any assistance, skipper Virat Kohli made the pacers Umesh Yadav and Ishant to bowl wide of the off-stump, meaning Australia didn't get any easy runs. Once the hardness on the surface disappeared, India were back to attacking the stumps and Ishant got the better of Renshaw for 15, adjudged LBW.

Off the next over bowled by Jadeja, Smith, who until then was padding away deliveries that was pitched outside leg-stump, made an error in judgement. Trying to pad the delivery without reaching for it, he didn't offer a shot, and Jadeja had the off-stump uprooted leaving Australia struggling at 83/4.