India's bowlers showed great resolve to close in on a remarkable win over Australia in the Melbourne Test despite being a frontline pacer short.
At stumps on day three in Melbourne, Australia were 133-6 with Cameron Green on 17 and Pat Cummins on 15 in their second innings – a lead of just two runs – as the visitors zeroed in on levelling the series after losing the first Test by eight wickets.
The visitors are in the position despite Umesh Yadav pulling up in his fourth over with a calf problem, limping off the field.
It was a setback for India, who were already missing injured regulars Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. But the remaining bowlers, led by Ravindra Jadeja (2-25) and Jasprit Bumrah (1-34), picked up the slack.
"I think we played really well. I thought the bowlers came out really strong and bowled in all the right areas. It was good to see," said India captain Ajinkya Rahane.
"But this game is not over yet, we still have to get four more wickets."
India were all out for 326 in their first innings on the stroke of lunch, adding just 49 to their overnight 277-5 in reply to Australia's 195.
It gave them a 131-run lead, courtesy of Rahane's magnificent 112 and Jadeja's 57. Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon took three wickets each.
Australia needed some of their big names to stand tall in the run chase. Opener Matthew Wade did well with a fighting 40 off 137 balls before being trapped lbw by the spin of Jadeja.
But Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Joe Burns all failed. Burns lasted just 10 balls, caught by Rishabh Pant off Yadav for four to follow his first-innings duck.
Even if David Warner fails to recover from a groin strain for the next Test in Sydney, it will be hard for selectors to again justify picking Burns, with Marcus Harris among those waiting in the wings.
Labuschagne fell for 28, caught by Rahane off a thick edge from Ravi Ashwin.
At the other end, the usually flamboyant Wade dug in but Smith again went cheaply, bowled by Bumrah for eight round his legs.
After Wade departed, Travis Head was the last recognised batsman but he became a victim of paceman Mohammed Siraj on debut, slashing a ball to Mayank Agarwal in the slips.
Captain Tim Paine fell to Jadeja for one, leaving Green and Cummins to knuckle down in a 34-run partnership and take the Test into a fourth day.
"Cummo is not an established batsmen, but he has done well for us at this ground in the past and we all know what Greenie is capable of if he can get in," said Wade.
"So it'd be really good for these two to get a nice partnership together, which we haven't done over this Test match."
Wade said Australia's bowlers would take "anything" to defend. Australia, after all, won in Adelaide after India were dismissed for 36, their lowest Test total.
"It would be really nice for these two to get a nice partnership," Wade added.
"Anything over 100 would be good."
