Lyon roars for Australia in fourth India Test

DHARAMSALA, India: Off-spinner Nathan Lyon took four key wickets to fashion a late comeback for Australia on an engrossing second day in the decisive fourth Test against India on Sunday.

The 29-year-old made the most of a lively track at Dharamsala, which is hosting its first Test, to return a rich haul of 4-67 in the final session of play.

Fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood (1-40) and Pat Cummins (1-59) also bowled their hearts out during frugal spells to restrict the hosts to 248-6 at stumps.

India trail by 52 runs with four wickets in hand after Australia made 300 in their first knock, largely thanks to a fine 111 from captain Steve Smith.

At stumps Wriddhiman Saha was batting on 10 with Ravindra Jadeja on 16.

With the series in the balance at 1-1, the game’s two top-ranked sides have been locked in a battle of attrition, with neither willing to give an inch.

The Indian batsmen were guilty of squandering good starts in a match they must win to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

But Lokesh Rahul (60) and Cheteshwar Pujara (57) batted patiently to put on 87 for the second wicket, the best partnership so far for the hosts.

“If you spend some time in the middle it’s really good to bat on. All of us got starts but we couldn’t convert.

Ajinkya Rahane, standing in for injured skipper Virat Kohli, also looked set for a big score but ended up gifting a catch to Smith off Lyon for 46 off 104 balls.

Ravichandran Ashwin (30) was adjudged lbw off Lyon. The all-rounder opted for a review but the ball tracker showed the stumps would have been hit.

Lyon, who had conceded 163 runs while taking just one wicket in the previous drawn Test at Ranchi, remained wicketless in the first two sessions.

But the bowler, whose experience as a curator gave him a sharp understanding of pitches, brought Australia back into the game in the final session through some classic old-fashioned spin.

Lyon’s first victim was Pujara, who was coming into the match on the back of an epic innings of 202 at Ranchi.

Pujara tried to defend but the ball ripped back in to hit the glove and then lob up to short leg, where Peter Handscomb pouched an easy catch.

Pujara’s 57 took his run tally past 400 in the series, behind only Smith who has 482 runs from seven innings.

The Indians would have been in further trouble but for Matthew Renshaw who dropped two catches, much to the frustration of the toiling bowlers.

Score Board

Australia won toss

Australia 1st innings 300 all-out (S Smith 111; Kuldeep 4-68)

India 1st innings

K L Rahul c Warner b Cummins       60

M Vijay c Wade b Hazlewood          11

C A Pujara c Handscomb b Lyon     57

*A M Rahane c Smith b Lyon          46

K K Nair c Wade b Lyon       5

R Ashwin lbw b Lyon  30

†W P Saha not out    10

R A Jadeja not out    16

Extras (b 4, lb 9)      13

Total (6 wickets; 91 overs)  248

To bat: B Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, U T Yadav

Fall: 1-21, 2-108, 3-157, 4-167, 5-216, 6-221

Bowling: Hazlewood 18-6-40-1; Cummins 21-5-59-1; Lyon 28-5-67-4; O’Keefe 24-4-69-0

Test debut: Kuldeep Yadav (India)

Umpires: M Erasmus (South Africa) and I J Gould (England). TV umpire: C B Gaffaney (New Zealand). Match referee: R B Richardson (West Indies). Reserve umpire: V K Sharma