Decisive moments in the India-South Africa test series

India managed a stunning comeback win at the Wanderers to improve the series scoreline and salvage some pride. But despite a 2-1 victory, it wasn't a series where South Africa dominated India completely. In fact, India claimed all the opposition wickets on offer - the first time this has happened in an away tour (outside the sub-continent), since the 1986 England tour - and for that, a lot of credit should go to the bowlers themselves and the bowling coach. It takes a lot of practice and significant mental adjustment to alter the natural length when bowling. Except for the first innings at Newlands, where barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar everybody else leaked runs and looked largely ineffective, the bowlers came to the party more often than not. For this, they deserve a lot of credit. Had they received slightly better support from their batting lineup (as well as fielders), India may well have achieved their first series victory in South Africa.

So what were the turning points in this test series? Following are some decisive ones.

1st Test - Cape Town

AB de Villiers' counterattack - 9th over of SA's 1st innings

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had taken three top order wickets in his four overs (and conceded only 7 runs) and he bowled the 9th over to AB de Villiers. ABDV counter-attacked India's best bowler, crashing him for four boundaries in that over (between point and covers) and shifting the pressure back on Bhuvi. South Africa, who were 15/3 after 8 overs, plundered 92 runs of the next 18 overs (run rate of 5.11) to go to lunch in a strong position at 107/3.

Dhawan's drop reprieves Maharaj - 47th over of SA's 1st innings

In the 45th over, Bhuvi had dismissed de Kock for a quick-fire 43 (off 40 balls) and hence, had broken a very threatening partnership with Philander (60 runs in 9 overs). In his next over, he moved the ball away, took the outside edge of Keshav Maharaj's bat but Dhawan put down a straightforward chance at third slip. South Africa were 202/6 then and by the time Ashwin found him short of his crease with a direct hit, Maharaj had compiled 35 brisk runs and put on 56 vital runs with Philander and Rabada. South Africa were eventually dismissed for 286 runs.

Elgar's drop lets off Pandya - 42nd over of India's 1st innings

India were struggling at 91/6 with Hardik Pandya on 15, when he punched a short ball outside off and it flew to Dean Elgar at gully. The South African opener dropped the catch (Steyn being the unlucky bowler) and Pandya went on to score 78 out of India's next 118 runs (he was also let off on 71 when de Kock missed a stumping chance). The Indian all-rounder put on a crucial 99-run partnership with Bhuvi and saved India from a massive first innings deficit.

Shami's misjudgement reprieves Elgar - 2nd over of SA's 2nd innings

South Africa, leading by 77 runs, hadn't opened their account in the second innings when Dean Elgar, on a pair, pulled Bumrah's first delivery and got a top edge. Shami ran in from mid-on but misjudged the skier slightly, and eventually missed the ball. A quicker fielder would've got to it and it was a missed opportunity that proved really costly for India. The two SA openers put on a 52-run opening stand before they lost their entire side for the addition of only 78 additional runs as the Indian quicks ran amok.

Philander setting up Kohli - India's 2nd innings

Chasing 208 for victory, India got off to a decent start before losing the top 3 for merely 9 runs and finding themselves in a spot of bother at 39/3. The stage was set for India's best batsman to take India through. Kohli and Rohit put on a confident stand and Kohli was looking very assured. In the 18th over (India had reached 60/3), Faf du Plessis brought on Philander with a specific plan. In a 15-ball spell (11 balls bowled to Kohli), Philander kept bowling outswingers outside the off-stump and the Indian skipper kept shuffling across in an attempt to cover the swing and defend the ball. Then Philander slipped in the in-swinger that caught Kohli napping. He had shuffled to off-stump and tried playing around his pads. However, he missed and was nailed in front of his stumps. It was a big moment in the game and one that surely broke the back of India's chase. India eventually lost by 72 runs to go 1-0 down in the series.

2nd Test - Centurion

Strange team selection by India

Bhuvi was India's highest wicket-taker and the second highest on either side at Cape Town (6/120). He had also scored more runs than all the specialist batsmen in his team. But in the strangest of selections in recent times, India dropped him for the second test and brought in Ishant Sharma (citing Ishant's ability to extract extra bounce). Not satisfied with that, the coach-captain duo of Shastri and Kohli also dropped the in-form Shikhar Dhawan and inducted KL Rahul.

Parthiv's drop lets off Amla - 51st over of SA's 1st innings

SA were 160/2 and Hashim Amla was on 30 when Parthiv Patel dropped him off the bowling of Ishant Sharma. The tall Delhi seamer had bowled a length ball slanting down the leg stump and Amla tried to glance it and got a thin edge which Parthiv failed to pouch. Amla would go on to score 82 and push South Africa to a challenging 335.

Pandya's brilliance & Philander's brain-fade - Overs 81-83 of SA's 1st innings

The hosts were sitting pretty at 246/3. Amla alongwith Faf du Plessis had stitched together a steady 47 run partnership and South Africa were looking at a 400+ total. Then, in the space of 14 deliveries, aided by some exceptional fielding, good bowling and poor running, the Proteas lost three wickets (two of them to run outs), including that of the innings top scorer Hashim Amla. Although, du Plessis batted well with the tail to take his team to 335, it was well below the 400 mark that looked very much achievable before this mini-collapse.

Ashwin's loose shot - 82nd over of India's 1st innings

India had fought back nicely from 164/5 with Kohli putting together two solid partnerships - first one worth 45 runs with Pandya (who got run out because of appallingly casual running) and then, an even more fruitful one of 81 runs with Ashwin. The tall offie was batting fluently on 38 (off 54 balls) and India, at 280/6 (and only 55 runs in the arrears), must have been targeting a slender first innings lead. Then du Plessis brought on Philander (who had gone wicketless till then) and took the second new ball. Off the third ball of Philander's over, Ashwin played a slightly loose shot to a widish out-swinger and the South African skipper took a really sharp catch at second slip. This was a crucial blow (Kohli was on 135 at the stage) and the Indian innings folded up for the addition of only 27 more runs, thereby conceding a crucial lead of 28 runs.

Parthiv's non-attempt benefits Elgar - 25th over of SA's 2nd innings

South Africa had recovered well, although not sufficiently so, from 3/2 to 70/2. Both Elgar and de Villiers had settled nicely into their respective batting rhythms before a rain-break held up proceedings for an hour. Post the resumption of play, Kohli immediately brought on his most successful bowler, Bumrah, and the lanky Gujarat seamer extracted disconcerting bounce from round the wicket that had Elgar fending. The ball took his glove and flew to the left of Parthiv Patel (Pujara was standing at widish first slip) who simply let the ball go by. It was clearly a keeper's catch and it went to Parthiv's natural side, yet he didn't even go for the catch (blaming Pujara later). This proved to be another crucial moment in the game as Elgar and de Villiers added another 74 runs to their partnership with Elgar, who was then on 29, going on to score 60.

Umpire's call reprieves du Plessis - 65th over of SA's 2nd innings

Philander and du Plessis had staged a solid recovery after South Africa had lost three quick wickets (from 144/2 to 163/5) but the target was still not out of India's reach as yet. On the third ball of his 2nd over of the innings, with the South African score at 199/5, Pandya trapped du Plessis in front with an in-swinger. The on-field umpire gave it not out and India used the Decision Review System (DRS). Everything was perfect except that the ball was just clipping the bails and hence the system went with the umpire's call. Had that been given out, the DRS would've stayed with that decision too. This turned out to be a crucial rub of green going South Africa's way as du Plessis, then on 20, went on to score 48 and took his team to 258, thereby setting India a target of 287 which proved well out of reach. South Africa won by 135 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

3rd Test - Johannesburg

Umpire's call reprieves Pujara - 6th over of India's 1st innings

India chose to bat first on a greentop and already Philander was making that decision look like a foolish one, by moving the ball menacingly both ways. He had first taken out KL Rahul for a duck and Pujara too was on zero (team score was 7/1), when a series of out-swingers were followed by one that went straight on and hit Pujara in front. The on-field umpire didn't uphold the LBW appeal and the South Africans reviewed using DRS. In a sort of reversal of fortunes, the ball was just clipping the bails and hence umpire's call came to Pujara's rescue. This proved crucial as Pujara went to score a half-century (exactly 50) and put together a very crucial 84-run partnership with Kohli.

No-review reprieves Pujara - 20th over of India's 1st innings

Pujara again got lucky in the 20th over, while (incredibly!) still on duck. Ngidi bowled it fuller and beat Pujara for pace. The South Africans went up in an LBW appeal but after the umpire turned it down, they didn't opt for a DRS review. Replays showed all three reds, meaning Pujara would've been on his way had South Africa reviewed that decision. India, at 27/2, were still not out of the woods at that point.

Umpire's call reprieves Amla, twice - 27th and 35th over of SA's 1st innings 

The nightwatchman Rabada and Hashim Amla had put together a useful little partnership of 46 runs when Kohli brought Ishant Sharma back, to bowl the 27th over. He swung his first delivery back into Amla and the stylish batsman, who was shuffling outside the off-stump throughout this test match, got beaten by the swing and was wrapped on his pads. As the appeal wasn't upheld, the Indians opted for a DRS review. It showed umpire's call for height and Amla, on 20 then, got a massive reprieve. 

Then again in the 35th over, Bhuvi pinged Amla in front and after the appeal was turned down, Kohli opted for a DRS review. It was once again umpire's call on height and Amla (on 34 then) got another life. He went on to score 61 runs.

Amla's dismissal leads to SA collapse - 60th over of SA's 1st innings 

Philander and Amla had put together a decent 44 run partnership for the 7th wicket, when Amla, batting well on 61 and having had a couple of lives, played an uppish flick to a leg stump half volley from Bumrah, straight into the hands of Pandya at deep square leg. His dismissal started a mini collapse wherein the last four wickets fell for the addition of only 25 runs, thereby restricting South Africa's lead to only 7. In the context of the match, this wicket assumed massive significance.

A life each for Rahane & Bhuvi as SA drop catches - 59th and 60th over of India's 2nd innings

India's 2nd innings saw an intriguing battle between bat and ball on a highly treacherous pitch. Kohli first combined with Vijay and then with Rahane to put India in a slightly better position but then India lost Kohli and Pandya in quick succession. Rahane was then joined by Bhuvi and the duo, overlooked in the previous test, were taking India to a stronger position when du Plessis brought Morkel back. Morkel produced steep bounce from round the wicket to induce a false shot from Bhuvi but Elgar couldn't cling on to an outside edge at gully. Three balls later, it was Rahane's turn to enjoy some luck. Rabada, probably getting tired from a longish spell, dropped one short outside the off-stump. Rahane tried to play an upper cut but lost control and skied it to Phehlukwayo at deep point but the South African all-rounder put down a relatively straight forward chance. India were 178/6 then and only 171 ahead. Eventually, this pair added 25 more and Bhuvi also combined with Shami to steer India to 247, in the process setting South Africa a far more challenging target of 241.

Amla's loose shot triggers another SA collapse - 53rd over of SA's 2nd innings

South Africa were chasing a target of 241 and contrary to all expectations, Elgar and Amla put together a gritty partnership of 119 runs for the second wicket. The hosts looked on course for a 3-0 series victory. With victory just 117 runs away, Amla played a loose shot. Ishant bowled a fuller length delivery, angled into the middle stump and the constantly-shuffling Amla flicked uppishly, straight to Pandya at short mid-wicket. South Africa then went on to lose their next four established batsmen (including Philander) for the addition of only 33 runs. This was mainly on account of some outstanding bowling by the Indian seamers, esp. Shami and Bumrah. South Africa were shot out for 177 thereby handing India a famous victory (by 63 runs). 

Classy India overcome tenacious Australia

In the end, India's all-round class proved too much for Australia. Till Day 2 in Dharamsala, Australia competed on equal terms, never let India run away and put enough pressure through their tenacity and resolve. This was best exemplified by their bowling performance on Day 2 - didn't allow India to score quickly, and picked up crucial wickets in the top and middle order. Then, on Day 3, it all came apart. Almost as if, the Aussie dam made up of resolve & grit couldn't hold up any more as India's superior class burst through.

Match recap

Australia won a very important toss and elected to bat. While Smith's men were unchanged from the last match (see my blog on Ranchi test), India made two changes. With Kohli injured, India chose to hand a debut to "chinaman bowler", Kuldeep Yadav. Further, given the likelihood that the ball would swing, India opted to replace Ishant Sharma with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The changes meant that India went into the series decider with five bowlers i.e. a batsman short. 

Australia 1st innings

Bhuvneshwar Kumar started to swing the new ball immediately and could've had Warner off the first ball, but Karun Nair dropped a slightly tough chance at 3rd slip. Umesh got Renshaw with a beauty in his first over, but then Smith and Warner launched a very aggressive partnership. Smith especially looked in sublime form and punished both the seamers. The spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja put some brakes on the run-rate but both Smith and Warner looked largely untroubled as Australia galloped to 131-1 at lunch. The match completely turned in the post-lunch session. The Indian captain, Rahane, continued with Kuldeep Yadav after lunch (he was introduced just before lunch) and the debutante's left-arm chinaman completely bamboozled the Australian middle-order. He first took out Warner with a flipper (caught at slip), then foxed Handscomb by a flighted chinaman which bowled him through the gate and then out-thought Maxwell by a fast googly which zipped through the surface and took out his off-stump. In between, Marsh fell to a loose shot, caught behind off the bowling of Umesh Yadav. Suddenly, at 178-5 having lost 4 wickets for 34 runs, Australia were under tremendous pressure and understandably, Smith became very circumspect. He eventually scored his 3rd hundred of the series and Rahane knew that the Aussie skipper had the ability to combine effectively with the lower order and put up a huge 1st innings total. He introduced Ashwin before tea and the tall off-spinner prized out Smith for 111. Australia went to tea at 208-6, adding just 77 runs during the session and losing 5 wickets in the process. Wade and Cummins tried hard with Wade specifically, having little problems dealing with Kuldeep Yadav. Wade went on to score a well made half-century but eventually, Australia were all out for 300, well short of the score they had in sights at lunch. For India, all the bowlers picked up at least 1 wicket with Kuldeep Yadav being the star, picking up 4 wickets. 

India 1st innings

Unlike Australia, India started slowly, reined in no doubt, by tight Aussie bowling. Hazlewood got rid of Vijay very early, and that brought together India's most prolific pair of this series. KL Rahul and Pujara again combined well, with the in-form Rahul completing his 5th half-century of this series. However, soon after reaching his half-century, Rahul's concentration wavered as he played a few loose shots and was eventually bounced out by Pat Cummins. Rahul and Pujara put on 87 for the second wicket. While Cummins was hostile, the Aussie spinners were not looking penetrative. However, the pitch offered bounce and soon enough, Lyon started to find his groove. Immediately after tea, Lyon accounted for Pujara (who had reached another half-century) as the extra bounce generated by the overspin, got the bat & pad, and lobbed to short-leg. Karun Nair didn't last long either, as he got out to Lyon in a similar fashion. Rahane and Ashwin put together a fifty-partnership before Lyon struck again. He took out both Rahane and Ashwin in quick succession, and India were on the backfoot, having lost the last 5 wickets for 113 runs. With Saha and Jadeja new to the crease, and India still 79 runs behind, Australia sensed an opportunity to take a sizable first innings lead. They took the 2nd new ball and were immediately presented with an opportunity. Cummins had Saha edging to an out-swinger but Renshaw dropped a fairly straightforward catch. This was his second drop of the match (he had dropped Rahul earlier) and one that would prove decisive in the context of the match. Like in Ranchi, the 7th wicket partnership proved match-turning for India. The pair added 96 runs for the 7th wicket before Jadeja was dismissed for a well made 63. India eventually got all out for 332, a lead of 32 on a pitch that was rapidly deteriorating. Lyon took a 5-wicket haul and looked at his most dangerous since Day 1 in Bengaluru.

Australia crumble, India rumble

India's lead wasn't substantial and Australia would've been confident of quickly wiping that off. Instead, they were greeted by India's best all-round bowling performance of the entire season. Both Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were very hostile to begin with, bowling at high pace, swinging the new ball as well as bowling nasty bouncers. Even though Karun Nair let-off Warner in the slips again, it didn't prove costly for India as the seamers got rid of both the openers, as well as the batting mainstay, Steve Smith, before Australia could even erase India's lead. Maxwell and Handscomb then led a min-revival as they put on 55 for the 4th wicket. Both Ashwin and Jadeja, however, were getting enough assistance from the pitch and causing problems for both Maxwell as well as Handscomb. Finally, just before the tea interval, Ashwin forced Handscomb to nick a straighter delivery to 1st slip and in the very next over, Jadeja got Marsh caught at short leg. By then, Australia had lost 5 wickets and were ahead by only 60. Maxwell was holding fort from the other end and had reached an aggressive 45, before he padded up to an off-break from Ashwin and was adjudged LBW. That finally broke the back of the Aussie resistance. They eventually managed 137, setting India a target of 106. Ashwin, Jadeja and Umesh Yadav, each picked up 3 wickets.

A target barely crossing 100 was never going to test this Indian team, given that the pitch was still good for batting. KL Rahul got another half century (his 6th 50 in 7 innings in this series) and even though, Vijay and Pujara departed early, an aggressive Rahane ensured that win was achieved quickly and without any further hiccups. India won the match by 8 wickets and the series 2-1. The series win ensured that India regained the Border-Gavaskar trophy and also made India the holder of test trophies against all test playing nations simultaneously (only the 3rd team ever to achieve this). Ravindra Jadeja, with 127 runs (63 in this match) and 25 wickets (4 wickets in this match) in the series, was adjudged as the Man of the Match and Man of the Series. India's gamble of playing five bowlers worked and the debutante, Kuldeep Yadav, picked up four crucial wickets in the first innings.

In the end, India just had too much firepower, too much class for Australia. Like in Bengaluru (see my blog), Australia lost the match due to a poor batting performance in their 2nd innings. Ultimately, they needed someone other than Smith to produce a gritty batting performance (like Handscomb and Marsh did in Ranchi). India finished their 2016-17 test season with 10 wins, 2 draws and just 1 loss - joint 2nd for most test wins in a season. And though they dominated both New Zealand and England, this victory against the gritty Aussies would taste the sweetest!

    

Dharamsala test: Series decider in the shadow of the Himalayas

So we finally arrive in the hillside city of Dharamsala, with the series tied at 1-1, with hours of exciting cricket already played, and yet with everything to play for in the venue's debut test. There's been some banter on-the-field, some words spoken off-the-field, the media has played its role but overall, these incidents have been overshadowed by some terrific cricket played by both teams. Many expected India to steamroll their opponents but clearly Smith & his team were quietly confident about their chances, even before the Pune test. Its perhaps apt then, that they come into the decider on the back of a hard-fought draw, with both teams confident of their chances and yet, aware of the opposition's threat.

Will India make it 10 for the season?

Leading up to this series, India had won 8 tests and drawn 1 during this home season. In this series, they've won their 9th test, drawn their 2nd and lost their 1st test match of the season. Kohli & Co. will undoubtedly look to record their 10th victory at Dharamsala and take the series along with it. Given the quality of their opposition, this would be one of Kohli's sweetest series victories as a captain. In each of the three tests, Australia has grabbed the initiative and put India under severe pressure. And yet, apart from the failure in Pune, India has stood up to the challenge. They turned the tables both in Bengaluru, where they won, as well as in Ranchi, where they put Australia under tremendous pressure on Day 5. The bowlers have looked good and if the batting clicks as a unit, the Border-Gavaskar trophy could be won at this picturesque venue.

Will Smith & Co. conquer India in India?

Australia's last test series victory in India was in 2004-05. In fact, since that series winning test at Nagpur, Australia went 11 tests in India without a victory. They finally broke that winless run in Pune and had chances both in Bengaluru, and less so in Ranchi, to seal the Border-Gavaskar trophy (as a previous winner, Australia will retain the trophy even if they draw the series). Despite that, it can't be denied that the Aussies have held on valiantly after the morale-crushing defeat at Bengaluru and the subsequent sidelining of Mitchell Starc on account of injury. Pat Cummins showed in Ranchi that he's perfectly capable of filling in as a strike bowler. If the Dharamsala pitch lives up to its reputation of assisting seamers, then Australia can pick up Jackson Bird in place of the struggling Nathon Lyon and hope that they can use Maxwell's off-spin more effectively. A win or a draw will help Smith & Co. to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, a result unthinkable for many, even in the Australian press, just four weeks ago!    

How are the teams placed?

Australia is likely to field the same eleven that secured a draw in Ranchi. Pat Cummins has been cleared to play after precautionary tests on the back. Australia would be hoping that Nathan Lyon comes back into form on a pitch that will likely to have more bounce and pace than Ranchi. If the curator leaves more than a tinge of grass on the wicket, then Australia may be tempted to replace Lyon with Bird. However, that seems unlikely and even Australia won't want to change a stable, successful combination for a crucial test like this.

India has been bothered by a few injury issues, the biggest among them being the shoulder injury of Virat Kohli. Cricket fans will remember, that twelve years ago, Australia headed into the Nagpur test 1-0 up and on a greenish pitch that offered massive assistance to fast bowlers, India's captain (Sourav Ganguly) had to miss the test due to injury. The Aussies were pleasantly surprised by that pitch; their seamers picked up 16 wickets to help Australia win the match by a huge margin and secure the series. With the likelihood of a pitch assisting the seamers and the captain missing out on account of injury, there's a sense of déjà vu. Indians would be hoping to avoid an encore though. Shreyas Iyer has been called as a cover for Kohli, and Rahane will captain if Kohli fails to pass the fitness test. An additional headache has emerged in the form of M Vijay's fitness. He didn't attend the practice sessions and it's likely that the shoulder injury, that kept him out of the Bengaluru test, has flared up. If he does sit out, then Abhinav Mukund will take his place. On the bowling front, it's unlikely that India will tinker with the combination, except if there's potentially some swing available. In that case, Bhuvneshwar Kumar may replace Ishant Sharma. 

Pitch

The pitches in this series have come under intense scrutiny. And the quality of the pitches have thrown up some intriguing battles. The pitch at Dharamsala has traditionally assisted pace bowlers. And the cool climate (with temperatures in the low 20s) is likely to assist swing. Kohli expects the pitch to have bounce and carry. With the almost anti-climatic behavior by the Ranchi pitch after the massive hue & cry raised prior to the match, the predictions have been far more guarded this time around. Or may be, with so much at stake, everybody is too tense to venture into predictions!    

India & Australia: Perfecting the Art of Comeback

At the end of day 5 in Ranchi, a draw was probably a fair result. And the series scoreline, with a test to go, is also a fair reflection of how both teams have competed relentlessly on even terms. The Ranchi test ebbed and flowed in a manner symptomatic of this series. Australia pushed India on the back-foot through a sizable first innings total and by making inroads into the Indian middle-order. India then pulled things back through a monumental 7th wicket partnership and then applied pressure on the Aussies by picking up their first 4 wickets cheaply. Finally, it was left to the young, Handscomb and the experienced, Shaun Marsh to combine and save the day for the visitors.

Recapping Day 4 and Day 5

Australia had a slight upper hand going in to Day 4 with India still trailing by 91 (Check out My previous blog). The overcast conditions (necessitating the use of flood-lights) seemed to be tailor-made for Cummins and Hazlewood. However, the ball was soft (50 overs old) and the next new ball was available only after another 30 overs. Australia tried very hard, dried up the runs but couldn't break the resistance offered by Pujara and Saha. While Pujara remained resolute in defence, Saha used his feet intelligently against the spinners. Even though only 75 runs were added in the morning session, this pair ensured that India didn't lose a wicket and in the process came very close to the Aussie first innings total. Australia took the new ball as soon as it was available, in the hopes of breaking the partnership & then running through the Indian lower middle order. Those hopes were to remain suspended for another session though. And any hopes of India going for quick runs in the 2nd session quickly evaporated as the overnight pair ensured another wicketless session with the addition of 68 runs between lunch and tea. Post-tea session, however, was the most eventful of the match. Saha quickly completed his 3rd test century and then Pujara completed his double century, the 3rd of his career and 2nd against Australia. He got out shortly after that, giving Lyon his first wicket since the first innings of Bengaluru test, and ending a monumental 199 run partnership with Saha. Jadeja quickly got into the groove and even though Saha departed shortly after Pujara, he along with Umesh Yadav piled on further misery on the Australians by putting together a 54 run partnership. Jadeja got a quickfire fifty (54 off 55 balls) before Kohli declared, with India 152 in front and Australia facing the daunting task of seeing off 8 overs before close of play. They ultimately didn't have to play the full 8 overs as the nightwatchman, Lyon, fell to 2nd delivery of the last over. Jadeja was expected to be the danger-man for Australia and he got both Warner and then Lyon by two absolutely top class deliveries. Australia ended Day 4 at 23-2, still 129 runs in arrears, and staring at a real prospect of defeat.

Day 5 began with Australia's most prolific pair (during this series) on the crease. Both Renshaw and Smith had played the Indian spinners reasonably comfortably throughout the series and India knew that breaking this partnership would almost mean a foot in the door. The pair survived for another 21 overs and had brought the lead down to less than 100, when Renshaw fell LBW to Ishant. The Indian quick who was bowling from round the wicket, set up Renshaw very nicely. He bowled a couple of nasty bouncers and followed those up with a full delivery that caught Renshaw on the crease, dead in front of the stumps. Three balls later, Jadeja accounted for Smith when the Australian captain, in a moment of indecision eerily similar to his Indian counterpart in Bengaluru, padded up to a delivery that was relatively full and in line with the stumps, and lost his off-stump. With both in-form batsmen back in the hut and Australia still 89 runs behind India, Kohli & Co. must have started harbouring hopes of wrapping up a victory in the 2nd session. That however proved to be a false dawn with Shaun Marsh and Handscomb displaying superior defensive technique and putting up an outstanding rearguard action. Very importantly, the rightie-leftie pair kept the scoreboard ticking thereby eating away at India's lead. By the time Jadeja got Marsh, they had added 124 runs, eaten up 62 additional overs and the match was already in the last hour. Even though, Ashwin got Maxwell shortly thereafter, both Handscomb and Wade ensured no further damage and finally, with 10 minutes left, Kohli and Handscomb shook hands, signalling the end of a very thrilling encounter. 

Stats Stack-up

Two of the top 3 batsmen from both teams continue to dominate the batting charts. And, Peter Handscomb is slowly starting to make his mark in this series. He combined brilliantly with Shaun Marsh (who's at no.6 in the list below) to pull Australia out of the woods and help them save the Ranchi test. And who would've thought that Kohli would muster less than 50 runs in 5 innings! 

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

There's not much change in the bowling charts either. Jadeja has emerged as the most effective as well as the most consistent bowler from either side. Steve O'Keefe has been steady over the last two tests following his spectacular 12-wicket haul in Pune. Both the off-spinners will be slightly disappointed - they've been good in patches (one inning each in Bengaluru) but haven't looked consistently penetrative. Umesh Yadav continues to be the best fast bowler from either side but he may be in for some competition from Pat Cummins (given the likely conditions in Dharamsala). 

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Everything on the line in Dharamsala

The next test in Dharamsala starts in 5 days and this gives very little time for the players to recover. This is especially true for bowlers - on an average, the fast bowlers bowled 40 overs while the spinners bowled 70 overs (mainly because of Jadeja and O'Keefe) in this match. However, with the season coming to an end, the respective team managements will push the players to give it all. Plus, there's plenty on line here. Whoever wins the next match, wins this series as well as the Border-Gavaskar trophy. In case of a draw, Australia will retain the trophy. 

A fighting draw in Ranchi may give the momentum to the Aussies and hence make them favourites for the next test, but there've been enough instances during this series where teams, when counted down and out, have made spectacular comebacks. Recall how India seemed down and out at the end of Day 1 in Bengaluru (check my blog during Bengaluru test), and having already lost the Pune test (check my blog after Pune test), were in serious danger of losing the series. Instead they mounted a superb comeback, led by their bowlers as well as Pujara and Rahane, and pinned the Aussies on the mat. Coming into the 3rd test, remember the kind of pressure Australia and Steve Smith were under (following the DRS-issue). India were considered heavy favourites to continue their winning momentum in Ranchi. And yet, Australia, led by Smith and comeback man Maxwell, mounted an impressive first innings total. Further, Pat Cummins, returning to test cricket after 6 years, put India under serious pressure. Then again, Pujara and Saha rescued India with the bat while Jadeja, with both bat and ball, gave a mighty scare to the Aussies. Prediction won't make for a lucrative profession in this series. 

Dharamsala, making its debut as India's 27th test centre, will have a much cooler climate. It has traditionally assisted fast bowlers. We are all set for the final test of this season. Here's hoping that Dharamsala adds another exciting chapter to this riveting series!