After getting Kohli cheaply, Aussies may have felt that India could cave in for the second time in the match but missed that there has been only one instance in the Indian home season when an opposition managed to dismiss Pujara and Kohli cheaply
Abhinav Mukund is bowled by Josh Hazelwood in Bangalore yesterday. Pic/PTI
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Bangalore: The mood in the Australian team huddle when they returned to the field after the tea-break on Day Three, was full of enthusiasm. There was plenty of chirping, smiles, high fives but there seemed to be a sense of complacency too. Perhaps the post lunch session, in which India lost four wickets for 84 runs, made the Aussies relax a bit because Steve Smith and Co perhaps sensed that they are not too far away from another convincing win.
Indian captain, Virat Kohli walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket. Pic/PTI
Before the Test, Smith had even stated that Australia were only one good session away from reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After getting Virat Kohli cheaply, the Aussies may have felt that India could cave in for the second time in the match. But what Smith and his men missed was that before the Australia series, there has been only one instance in the Indian home season when an opposition team has managed to dismiss both Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli cheaply.
However, it didn't take long for the visitors to realise Pujara's potency with the bat. The balance soon tilted in the Indians' favour as he took 10 runs off three balls in the 56th over of the innings bowled by Josh Hazlewood. As the tall Aussie quick went back to the top of his bowling mark, he kicked the ground in disgust.
Hazlewood had deviated from his stump-to-stump line that he diligently stuck to in that post-lunch session. Australia has been so disciplined in all aspects of the game throughout the series but there was that lapse of concentration from the visitors' star performer of the day.
Ravindra Jadeja acknowledges the crowd after his six-wicket haul on Day Three of the second Test against Australia in Bangalore yesterday. Pic/PTI
Three shots from Pujara seemed to have galvanised the mood in the Indian camp. Kohli was seen smiling in the dressing room and Ravindra Jadeja seemed to be sharing a joke with his teammates. The lead was inching towards the 100-run mark and maybe it was India that felt that they have finally broken Australian spirits.
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