Mind-games aplenty as arch-enemies pad up

– India and Australia resume their battle for Test supremacy tomorrow at the start of the third match in a series that has already dragged relations close to breaking point.

India won the second Test in Bangalore to leave the series tantalisingly poised at 1-1 but simmering tensions boiled over when the hosts’ captain accused his opposite number of abusing the decision review system.

The International Cricket Council, which decided not to punish either Virat Kohli or Steve Smith (right) over the flare-up, has called the two skippers to-

Ranchi

gether for clear-the-air talks.

Australia’s hopes suffered a double blow last week when allrounder Mitchell Marsh and paceman Mitchell Starc were ruled out of the last two Tests with injuries.

India’s concerns are centred on the form of Kohli who has totalled just 40 runs in the series after scoring double centuries in his last four Test series.

Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has been among the critics of the ICC’s softly-softly approach, saying things had been allowed to fester.

“It’s been allowed to escalate over the years. It’s going to cause a huge problem one day on the field,” he wrote on the website of Australia’s Channel Nine network.

The sniping has continued since Bangalore with Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin accusing Australia of resorting to tactics reminiscent of an Under-10 team.

But Australia have been playing their own mind games, with their leading spinner Nathan Lyon saying all the pressure is on the hosts.

“Everyone said that we were going to lose 4-0. It’s 1-1, we’re one win away from retaining the trophy and that’s what we are here to do,” said Lyon, who took a career-best 8/50 in Bangalore.

While India should be unchanged, Australia are expected to call up Pat Cummins for Starc and Glenn Maxwell or Marcus Stoinis will replace Marsh.

Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has suggested Kohli’s outburst was due to frustration over his low scores.

But Indian batting great VVS Laxman said it was only a matter of time before Kohli came good.

“If I was an Australian, I would be a little wary of a backlash,” he said. –