Australia 8 for no loss (Harris 5*, Finch 3*) trail India 7 for 443 dec (Pujara 106, Kohli 82, Agarwal 76, Rohit 63*, Cummins 3-72) by 435 runs
On a day when the bowlers found no real purchase – barring the occasional uneven bounce – from the MCG surface, India continued their batting dominance, consolidating their overnight position of 2 for 215.
India rode on the back of a 170-run third-wicket stand between Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara – the overnight pair batted out the first session – before useful contributions from the middle order took them to 443 for 7. Their bowlers then kept Australia’s openers in check for six overs.
Australia did collect five wickets on the day, but less than half of them seemed to be earned. Balls that stayed low accounted for Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, but it was the irregular behaviour off the surface that Australia must thank.
Lyon’s ineffectiveness also mirrored Australia’s fate. At the MCG, he has only four wickets against India and, as on the first day, the offspinner was comfortably negated by India’s batsmen, who used their feet to reach the pitch of the delivery, and played through the covers or midwicket almost every time he went too full. An angle from round the wicket didn’t help Lyon either, and it took him almost 40 overs to earn his first wicket of the game. By the time Lyon struck after tea, trapping Rahane lbw with a ball that kept low, India had already capitalised on the first day’s performance.
More to follow…
Source: ESPN Crickinfo