India win 3rd Test by six wickets; take 3-0 lead in series

Mohali, March 18: Chasing 133, India won the third Test against Australia by six wickets on the fifth and final day of the match and took a 3-0 lead in four-match series in Mohali on Monday.

Resuming on 75 for three, the Australians were bundled out for 223 in their second innings, setting India an achievable target of 133 to win in a minimum of 27 overs on the fifth and final day at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium.

At tea, India were 30 for no loss, needing another 103 runs to clinch the four-match series, which the hosts lead 2-0 after convincing wins in Chennai and Hyderabad.

Murali Vijay was batting on 19 and giving him company was Cheteshwar Pujara (10), opening the innings in place of the Shikhar Dhawan, who could not take to the field on the final day due to a finger injury.

If India require him to bat, Dhawan would not be allowed to come before number seven.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was once again the most effective bowler for the hosts, returning impressive figures of three for 35 -- all his three wickets, including that of Australian skipper Michael Clarke, coming on the final day.

There were two wickets apiece for fellow left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and off-break bowler Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin leads the wickets tally in the series with 22 scalps, followed by Jadeja, who has 17 to his name, reflecting the Indian spinners' dominance.

Young paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar had taken three wickets last evening to rock the Australian top-order. India grabbed the remaining seven Australian wickets in the two sessions while giving away 148 runs.

Ashwin and Jadeja finished the innings after the last-wicket pair of Mitchell Starc (35) and Xavier Doherty added 44 runs in 65 minutes, and more importantly, consuming 18 overs.

Nathan Lyon, Michael Clarke, overnight batsman Phillip Hughes (69), Mosies Henriques, Peter Siddle, Brad Haddin and Starc were the batsmen to have been dismissed on Monday, which left India within sniffing distance of winning their third straight Test against Australia.

India, since playing their first official match 81 years ago in 1932, have never won more than two matches against Australia in the longer format of the game.

Ravichandran Ashwin hit Hughes on the pads but the ball pitched outside leg and didn't straighten enough to hit the stumps.

Woefully out of form prior to this innings, Hughes dug in for 165 minutes before becoming a victim of a bad decision. He struck 11 fours and a six during his 147-ball 69 at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium.

Jadeja then pulled off a blinder of a catch to dismiss Henriques. After luring the batsman to go for it, Jadeja stretched full-length to his left to pull off a diving catch.

After being lofted over long-off for a six by Peter Siddle, Ojha had his man when he knocked over his off-stump to leave Australia stuttering at 143 for eight before lunch.


Brief Scores:
Australia: 408 and 223 in 89.2 overs. (Phil Hughes 69, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/31)

India: 499 and 136/4 in 33.3 overs (Virat Kohli 34, Cheteshwar Pujara 28; Peter Siddle 1/34).