Aussies fight it out to the end
SHAUN Marsh and Peter Handscomb last night engineered one of the great saves in Australian Test cricket history to push an all-time epic series to a thrilling decider.
The third Test in Ranchi will go down as a draw but for an Australian team on the ropes, this felt like the sweetest of victories.
Two down at the start of the day and four down at lunch, the warrior-like 124-run partnership between Marsh and Handscomb – which soaked up 232 minutes and 374 balls – may well be looked back upon as the stand that created history for Australia in India.
When Marsh finally succumbed for 53 off 197 balls Australia only had 10 overs left to hold on, with Handscomb seeing the fight of his life right out to the end, finishing unbeaten on 72 off 200 balls.
In total Australia survived 100 arduous overs on a surface where a wicket at any point could have sparked a matchending collapse.
Now one of the most dramatic, venomous and see sawing series since the 2005 Ashes has been given the spinetingling finale it deserves.
Warring arch-enemies Australia and India are locked 1-1 heading into the fourth and final Test starting on Saturday in Dharamsala at the foot of the Himalayas.
India were yesterday charging head-on towards a triumphant win on day five when Australian captain Steve Smith had his off-stump catapulted out of the ground by a rampant Ravi Ashwin half an hour before lunch to leave the tourists reeling at 4-63.
The image of Australia’s most reliable and inspirational figure staring down at his flattened castle having not even offered a shot was enough to send any dressing room into a state of panic, particularly given Matt Renshaw had just departed the over before.
But from a point where recent Australian teams would have plummeted off the precipice, unlikely heroes Marsh and Handscomb picked up the pieces and rescued their side with courageous, backs-to-thewall performances.
Australia finished at 6-204 but by the end even if they were bowled out India wouldn’t have had time to chase the 52run lead Handscomb and Marsh had wrested back.