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Cricket PlayersWatch: Cheteshwar Pujara in shambles after Lyon gets unimaginable turn to shatter his stumps; Rohit Sharma reacts
Nathan Lyon's delivery gripped on the surface, turn back towards Pujara sharply, kept a tad low too and gave him no time to adjust. He had his stumps rattled as India lost their top three for the lowest score of the series (36).
The India vs Australia third Test match in Indore by far had the most exciting and unexpected beginning in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far. Mitchell Starc got Rohit Sharma out twice in the first over of the Test but the India captain was given not out by on-field umpire Nitin Menon and Australia did not review on both occasions. The India captain, however, did not last long as he was out stumped trying to hit Matthew Kuhnemann out of the park in the sixth over.
Rohit's opening partner Shubman Gill, who replaced KL Rahul for this Test, got off to a delightful start against the seamers but was dismissed by Kuhnemann in his next over.
The ball turned on both occasions as the Indore pitch gave clear indications that it was not going to be easy for the batters. There was sharp turn with bounce on offer and Australia, like Delhi, were playing three finger-spinners.
INDIA VS AUSTRALIA 3rd TEST LIVE SCORE
Therefore, it was doubly surprising to see India's No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara go back and try to play a punch through off-side against the turn.
It was the second ball of the ninth over. Nathan Lyon pitched it short and outside off stump. On any other surface, no one would have asked questions of Pujara for quickly rocking back to square cut the delivery through the off side. But this Indore pitch was different. It was offering the most turn - 4.8 degrees in the first hour to be precise. The other two Tests of the series offered at least a couple of degrees less.
The ball gripped on the surface, turn back towards Pujara sharply, kept a tad low too and gave him no time to adjust. He had his stumps rattled as India lost their top three for the lowest score of the series (36).
The expression on captain captain Rohit Sharma's face when Pujara was walking back to the hut for 1, said it all.
Watch Video: Nathan Lyon cleans up Cheteshwar Pujara in India vs Australia 3rd Test
Lyon got another wicket when Ravindra Jadeja, the man in form both with the bat and ball, punched another short one straight to the cover fielder.
Kuhnemann got another breakthrough as Shreyas Iyer, among the better players of spin, chopped one back on to his stumps for a duck as India lost half their side for 44.
