Pujara double, Saha ton put India in complete command
19 March 2017 10:00 PM IST
Cheteshwar Pujara's marathon double hundred complemented by Wriddhiman Saha's dogged century put India in complete command with an imposing total of 603 for 9 against Australia on the fourth day of the third cricket Test.
With a substantial lead of 152 in their kitty, Indian bowlers then went all out as Australia were tottering at 23 for 2 when stumps were drawn.
Ravindra Jadeja (2/6) got a couple of deliveries to land on the rough and breach through the defences of David Warner (14) and Nathan Lyon (2).
An overjoyed Virat Kohli was seen patting his heavily strapped injured shoulder after Warner's dismissal, an obvious reference to Glenn Maxwell's mocking on Saturday.
The match has undoubtedly been set up by Pujara's (202) marathon vigil which lasted for more than 11 hours (672 minutes). He faced 525 deliveries – most by any Indian batsman in an innings surpassing Rahul Dravid's Indian record of 495 balls against Pakistan at Rawalpindi back in 2004.
The Saurashtra right-hander hit 21 boundaries in his third Test double hundred adding a record 199 runs for the seventh wicket stand which could well prove to be a game-changer. Wriddhiman also played his part to perfection en route his career-best score of 117.
This was the third Test century for the wicketkeeper-batsman, who has now cemented his place in the team. He faced 233 balls hitting eight fours and a six. Jadeja (54, 55 balls) used the long handle to good effect and stretched the lead to 150 plus with the Australian bowlers finding little assistance from the surface.
Left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe sent down a record 77 overs picking 3/196 in the process. The number of overs bowled by O'Keefe is highest by an overseas bowler on Indian soil.
Comeback man Pat Cummins was the most successful bowler bagging 4/106 in 39 overs. It was a laudable effort considering the pace at which he bowls and the fact that he was playing Test cricket after a long time. But Nathan Lyon (1/163 in 46 overs) was a disappointment once again.
The Indian team did not waver from their safety first approach as 243 runs were scored in the 80 overs that they batted on the day. The idea was to out-bat the opposition and take the game into the final day which they have successfully done.
Australia, with their strong batting line-up, would be hoping that they can bat out for a draw on the final day before going for the jugular in Dharamsala. But a fifth day pitch is likely to ask a few tough questions as they still need 129 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Number 8 Wriddhiman oozed maturity as he complemented Pujara's solidity with his calm demeanour. Pujara-Wriddhiman had two wicketless sessions.
Pujara finally ran out of steam for a simple catch to Glenn Maxwell at short midwicket. Contrary to prediction, the fourth day pitch of MS Dhoni's home venue held up as spinners extracted turn from the roughs while pacers had to rely on reverse swing.
The benign nature of the surface would seem to be a draw on the cards but Jadeja who grabbed a first innings fifer would be tempted to exploit the roughs after his twin bursts in a big Test for the visitors to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the final day on Monday.
Resuming on 390 for 6 under overcast conditions, Pujara and Saha refused to get out and left Aussies all the more frustrated with their profligate use of DRS. Wriddhiman got to his third Test century with an easy glance to square leg in the first ball after tea, while three overs it was Pujara's turn to get to his third double ton as the duo went on and on.
If their dogged partnership was not enough, India piled on the Aussies misery by successfully using referrals twice -- when Wriddhiman was on 19 and Pujara on 157.
Australia were left frustrated more when their review for a catch off a sweep shot of Saha in the last over before lunch was overturned. On 59, Wriddhiman went for a sweep and was beaten by the extra bounce and the bat did not have an edge hitting only the ground as umpire Ian Gould ruled out the appeal.
Steve Smith and Co however went for a referral and lost a review as the Aussies struggled to break the partnership.
Wriddhiman, on 19, survived Pat Cummins' first ball with India successfully using the review to deny the comeback pacer his fifth wicket.
He was given leg before by umpire Chris Gaffaney but referral showed the ball was missing leg by a few centimetres.
The next ball, Wriddhiman responded with a boundary, a classical cover drive as the duo brought up 50 partnership under floodlights with conditions overcast and hazy.
Approaching his 50, Wriddhiman broke the shackles and stepped out to hit Lyon over midwicket. Wriddhiman was dropped on 51, trying to cut, beaten by the extra bounce of O'Keefe, and replays showed, he had a faint edge only to be dropped by wicketkeeper Wade.
Pujara, who also has two double tons, posted his second 150 in Tests in 391 balls guiding Lyon for a single as the whole team gave him a standing applause. In the next over, Pujara's edge off O'Keefe flew down the slip cordon past Smith as nothing went for Australia in the wicketless first session.
Overnight 130, Pujara who has three triple hundreds in first class cricket, remained focused throughout and restrained from playing any risky shot which was was the hallmark of his innings.
Pujara later overcame his the record of his 'role model' Dravid who had faced 495 balls in his 270 against Pakistan in April 2004.
It was a throwback to their 316-run unbroken second innings partnership in Rest of India's Irani Cup earlier this year, Pujara and Saha looked indefatigable and refused to get out after India resumed on 390/6 under overcast conditions.
Australia took the new ball after lunch with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins bowling in tandem but Pujara and Saha's patient approach on an eased-out wicket continued to elude them the breakthrough.
It's my best Test knock, says Saha
Wriddhiman Saha on Sunday rated his 117-run knock against Australia as his "best" Test knock so far and said the support he is getting from his teammates has had a positive influence on his batting.
Saha played a key role along with Cheteshwar Pujara (202) to hand India a first innings lead of 152.
"This is the best among the three I have. We badly needed partnership. My partnership began slowly. One of the best," Saha said at the press conference.
"Pujara always backed me to play my shots. Told me to be positive. I had the same approach here. I played in positive sense, so it came out well. wicket-keeper batsman added. He told me to break it up and think of small, small partnerships of 10-20 runs each. I just backed my strength and showed respect to good balls."
Saha further said the support he got from his teammates, has given him a lot of confidence.
"I didn't really change the way I batted. I'm backing myself more now. When I'm playing sweep shots or stepping out, I used to have doubts early in my career. Now the team is supporting me. It's have a good effect on me."
Saha said his 316-run unconquered stand with Pujara in the Irani Trophy final inspired the two of them to bat well. They had rattled up that stand in the second innings, which eventually shaped Rest Of India's six-wicket win for over Gujarat.
"The way Pujara was batting it never seemed we would lose a wicket. We did well in Irani Trophy. It was playing in our mind. We knew that we could do well if we back ourselves. We just tried to do that and looked for loose balls and run well between wickets," Saha said.
It will be a challenge to combat Jadeja on final day: Lehman
Australia coach Darren Lehmann on Sunday said it would be a real challenge for his team comprising five left-handers to negotiate the left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja on the final day here on Monday. Jadeja snapped two wickets to reduce Australia to 23-2, still needing 129 runs with eight wickets in hand to avoid a first innings defeat. "Going to have to come up with a plan to combat Jadeja but we've worked on that and you'll probably see it on Monday I would think," Lehmann said after the penultimate day's proceedings.
"They've got to believe in what they are doing as a group and a couple of good balls like tonight that can happen in a game of cricket. For us it's a great challenge. The challenge for our group is to put on a couple of partnerships and really get ahead of the game." Jadeja would look to exploit the footmarks, something that has given him a fair amount of success as he backed up his fifer in the first innings with 2/6 in 3.2 overs on Sunday.
"It was a great ball that got Warner in the end. If they bowl 10 of those so be it. But we've got to cope with it as best as we can and come up with a plan and we've done a lot of practice in those conditions, so I'm really confident they can do the job and see how they go. It'll be a great challenge for them," Lehmann said. Left worried to save the third Test, Lehman hoped his boys will replicate the innings played by Pujara and Saha on the final day on Monday.
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