INDvsAUS: Bowlers turn it India's way; 87 runs required for series victory

Dharamsala: Indian bowlers scripted a dramatic turnaround on the third day of the fourth and final Test being played at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium here on Monday, by wrapping up the visiting Australian team for mere 137 runs in the third inning of the match.

At Stumps, India (19/0) looked breezing towards to the 106-run target with openers Lokesh Rahul (13*) and Murli Vijay (6*) standing at the crease. The home team needs 87 more runs to win the match as well as the series, which is currently levelled at 1-1.

After taking just 32-run lead, Indian bowlers took full advantage of the pitch and dismissed David Warner (6), Aussie skipper Steve Smith (17) and Matt Renshaw (8) even before the lead was overhauled.

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Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell added 56 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was sent back at the individual score of 18. Maxwell was the highest scorer for the Kangaroos as he scored 45 runs off 60 balls with 6 fours and a six.

Shaun Marsh once again failed on the trip to subcontinent and got out after scoring just one run. Pat Cummins scored 12 runs while Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood could not open their accounts.

Wicket-keeper-batsman Matthew Wade, however, showed some resistance and scored 25 runs and remained unbeaten but could not help his team to post a fightable target before India.

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Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin bagged three wickets each Bhuvneshwar Kumar took one success. Kuldeep Yadav, who marked his dream debut in the first inning of the Dharamsala Test by plucking four wickets, was not given much opportunity in the second inning, resultantly he remained wicket-less.

India now needs 106 runs to win the match as well as the series. Currently, the four-match series is levelled at 1-1. If India wins tomorrow, it will be its first ever Test victory under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, who is the stand-in skipper for injured Virat Kohli.