Nathan Lyon takes eight-for as Australia edge towards third Test win over India | Cricket News

Nathan Lyon claimed eight wickets to have Australia on the cusp of victory in the third Test against India, closing day two in Indore needing just 76 runs to win.

After Australia were bowled out for 197 earlier in the day, India slumped to 163 all out in their second innings, with Lyon the star of the show taking 8-64 on a spinning track.

Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored for India with a gritty 59 to briefly give them hope of setting the visitors a challenging fourth-innings target, but he was Lyon’s six wicket of the day and India’s eighth to fall, with the innings then swiftly wrapped up four overs later to signal the close of play.

The visitors started the day on 156-4 but Umesh Yadav (3-12) picked up three wickets in a stunning 30-minute burst as Australia crumbled and lost six wickets for 11 runs in 34 deliveries.

Peter Handscomb (19) and Cameron Green (21) added 30 runs in a challenging first hour, but the pressure from India’s bowlers paid off when Ravichandran Ashwin (3-44) broke through in the 71st over to have Handscomb caught at forward short leg and that wicket triggered the Australian collapse.

India’s openers survived a testing spell before lunch to resume the second session 13 without loss, but Shubman Gill was bowled by Lyon after the break.

Captain Rohit Sharma was next to fall, lbw to Lyon for 12 and Virat Kohli (13) was also out lbw while trying to cut Matthew Kuhnemann (5-16) off the back foot.

When Lyon trapped Ravindra Jadeja for seven, India had slumped to 78-4 and were still trailing Australia by nine runs.

Pujara demonstrated resistance, and he reached his half century off 108 deliveries, sharing an important 35-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer (26) to give India some momentum.

Iyer hit three fours and two sixes in his 27-ball knock, but he was ultimately fell to a brilliant catch by Usman Khawaja at midwicket off Mitchell Starc (1-14).

Lyon bowled Srikar Bharat for three and then trapped Ashwin lbw for 16 to claim his five-for. But it was Pujara’s dismissal to a stunning leg slip catch by Steve Smith off Lyon that all but ended India’s hopes of posting a decent target.

Umesh holed out in the deep for a duck two balls later, and Lyon bowled Mohammed Siraj without scoring to complete the rout, India losing their last four wickets for 23 runs in the space of 12.3 overs.

“We don’t have enough runs on the board, but we will try to make it tough for Australia and go for victory,” Pujara said. “It is a really tough pitch to bat on. I trusted my defence to bat on this wicket.”

Australia will pick up their run chase to open the third morning, with India requiring require a bowling miracle to seal a series win ahead of the final Test. Victory for Australia would give them the chance to level the four-match series in Ahmedabad on March 9.