Pujara, Kohli help India post huge total

MELBOURNE: A 170-run stand between century-maker Cheteshwar Pujara and captain Virat Kohli put India in a dominant position in the third Test Thursday as Australia’s openers survived half a dozen nervy overs before the close.

Dogged Pujara stroked 106 and Kohli 82 before they both fell soon after lunch on what until then had been a lifeless Melbourne pitch.Rohit Sharma was not out 63 after notching his 10th Test half-century when Kohli called a halt to the innings late in the day at 443 for seven as India go in search of a crucial 2-1 lead in the four-Test series. That gave the tourists’ attack six overs before stumps to target Australian openers Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch, who battled through to be eight without loss. Pujara and Kohli had continued to build their intimidating partnership after coming together when openers Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal fell on day one.

They batted through to lunch with scarcely an alarming moment. But when Kohli started to take on the short ball soon after being seen by the physio for a back complaint in the afternoon session, he was undone by pace spearhead Mitchell Starc. The Indian run-machine had hit a four and was attempting another boundary next ball when he uppercut to third man for Finch to take an easy catch. It deprived Kohli of a 26th Test century and the chance to surpass boyhood hero Sachin Tendulkar by making a seventh hundred in Australia. They remain tied on six each. A stoic Pujara had been unflappable in his 319-ball innings until Pat Cummins sent down a rocket that stayed low, breached his defence and clattered into the stumps.

Pujara, who has scored more runs and faced more balls than any other batsman in the series, added 38 to his overnight 68 in another tremendous knock by a man who has now scored 17 Test tons and two in this series. It was an arduous day for Australia’s bowlers in hot conditions with Cummins’ 3-72 proving the pick. Sharma, back after missing the second Test with an injury, was in good touch, but had a massive let-off on 15 when he swept a Nathan Lyon delivery to square leg where substitute fielder Peter Siddle made a complete mess of a simple catch.

Brief Scores: India 443/7 (Cheteshwar Pujara 106, Virat Kohli 82, Rohit Sharma 63*; Pat Cummins 3-72) vs Australia 8/0.