Indian duo hang tough to keep Aussies at bay

– Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood yesterday acknowledged the second Test hung in the balance after India’s Cheteshwar Pujara (right) hit an unbeaten half-century to lead the hosts’ fightback on day three in Bangalore.

The hosts were 213/4 at stumps, leading Australia by 126 runs in their second innings after the tourists’ hopes of building a big lead were undermined by an oustanding bowling performance from Ravindra Jadeja.

Pujara (right) on 79 and Ajinkya Rahane on 40 were batting at close of play. The pair put together

Bangalore

a stubborn 93-run partnership for the fifth wicket to lift India from a wobbly 120/4 at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“Credit to the two guys out there. They stuck to their plans and scratched away for quite a bit of amount of runs,” Hazlewood said after India scored 91 runs in the last session without losing a wicket.

Pujara led the way with his controlled knock as he kept a persistent Australian attack at bay, prompting skipper Steve Smith to rotate his bowling options.

Rahane was equally resolute in his resolve to give the visitors a daunting fourth-innings chase. He hardly played a loose shot during his 105-ball stay.

The 29-year-old Pujara, who recorded his 14th Test fifty in his 46th Test, capitalised on a dropped chance by Smith at first slip off Nathan Lyon when he was on four.

Off-spinner Lyon, who had grabbed a career-best Test haul of 8/50 in the first innings, went wicketless on a day when Indian spinner Jadeja claimed six wickets.

Hazlewood though praised his team’s spinners after Lyon gave away just 69 runs in his 27 overs and Steve O’Keefe got the key wicket of opener Lokesh Rahul (51).

“I think the spinners bowled really well again,” he said.

Hazlewood rattled the Indian top-order with three wickets, including the prized scalp of skipper Virat Kohli in the afternoon session. Hazlewood trapped Kohli lbw for 15 with a shooting inswinger and a review did not help the batsman amid stunned silence.

In the morning session, leftarm spinner Jadeja returned with figures of 6/63 to help dismiss Australia for 276 in their first innings, a lead of 87. –