Lyon mauls India as Aussies close in on win

INDORE: Nathan Lyon took eight wickets on Thursday to give Australia hope of beating India in the third Test -- provided they can avoid another calamitous batting collapse.

On a dramatic day two in Indore, Australia´s batting imploded in their first innings only for them to fight back and restrict India in their second to 163, giving them a victory target of 76.

Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored with 59, caught brilliantly at slip by Australia captain Steve Smith, with Lyon taking figures of 8-64 on a treacherous spinning wicket.

Having skittled India for just 109 on day one, Australia resumed on 156-4 but collapsed to 197 all out before lunch, their last six wickets tumbling for just 11 runs.

Cameron Green and Peter Handscomb survived the first hour on a pitch with unpredictable bounce, the tall Green using his long stride to neutralise India´s spin attack.

But after the drinks break, Handscomb departed for 19, caught by Shreyas Iyer at short leg off Ravichandran Ashwin, and then Green was trapped lbw by seamer Umesh Yadav for 21.

The house of cards then quickly collapsed, with Umesh bowling Mitchell Starc for one, sending the left-hander´s off stump cartwheeling towards wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.

Alex Carey went for three, lbw to Ashwin, seamer Umesh bowled Todd Murphy for a duck and Lyon was cleaned up by Ashwin for five.

Ashwin took 3-44 and Umesh 3-12.

India sensed their chance and openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill survived a tricky 10 minutes before lunch.

But after the break, Gill was beaten for spin as he tried to go down the track against Lyon and was bowled for five, before the spinner trapped skipper Rohit for 12.

Score Board

India won the toss

India 1st innings 109

Australia 1st innings 197

India 2nd innings

Sharma lbw b Lyon 12

Gill b Lyon 5

Pujara c Smith b Lyon 59

Kohli lbw b Kuhnemann 13

Jadeja lbw b Lyon 7

Iyer c Khawaja b Starc 26

Bharat b Lyon 3

Ashwin lbw b Lyon 16

Patel not out 15

Yadav c Green b Lyon 0

Siraj b Lyon 0

Extras: (lb4, b3) 7

Total: (all out, 60.3 overs) 163

Fall of wickets: 15/1 (Gill), 32/2 (Rohit), 54/3 (Kohli), 78/4 (Jadeja), 113/5 (Iyer), 118/6 (Bharat), 140/7 (Ashwin), 155/8 (Pujara), 155/9 (Umesh), 163/10 (Siraj)

Bowling: Starc 7-1-14-1, Kuhnemann 16-2-60-1, Lyon 23.3-1-64-8, Murphy 14-6-18-0

Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Nitin Menon (IND)