Ind vs Aus, Day 3: India continues to fight to save the match

Bengaluru: Left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja's six-for restricted first inning lead of Australia to 87 runs, but India struggles hard to make a match on third day of the second cricket Test match being played here on Monday.

At stumps, India was 213/4 leading by 126 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the second inning. The half centuries by Lokesh Rahul, his second in the match, and a resolute Cheteshwar Pujara supported by Ajinkya Rahane saw India's fight back at Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

Pujara was unbeaten at 79 runs, his 14th half century in his 46th Test match, while Rahane was unbeaten at a well made 40.

Earlier, resuming from 237/6, Australia's inning was folded up at 276 in reply to first inning score of 189 runs by India. Jadeja came good with the ball, claiming six for 63 runs, his 7th five-wicket haul in his 28th Test match.

India started its second inning on relatively better note but Abhinav Mukund, who is making his comeback to the Test side after five years, disappointed again in the match and getting out at 16 with one four and a mistimed six over fine leg.

Skipper Virat Kohli failed again in the match to the disappointment of his fans and his team. It was now left to Pujara and Rahane to salvage the Indian ship. Both combined well to take the score from 120/4 to 213/4 making an unbeaten partnership of 93 runs for fifth wicket.

With the pitch behaving unpredictably and Indian batting is still to come, the match is poised for an interesting finish. According to Cricket experts, the 250 runs target in the fourth inning can even be a fighting cause for the visitors. Much will depend on the pair of Pujara and Rahane who despite being sketchy, at times, applied themselves well to battle it out on the third afternoon.