Ind vs Aus: Nathan Lyon's 4-for restricts India to 248/6 on Day 2, trail by 52 runs
Dharamsala: Australia have managed to rein India back on a day when the visitors picked up wickets in regular intervals, to restrict India to 248 for 6 at the end of Day 2.
While the Indians dominated the first day's play from the second session onwards, it is Steve Smith and co, who will appear more satisfied at the end of Day 2.
Spinner Nathan Lyon was the pick of the bowlers, as Australia removed the Indian top order, with six wickets.
Opener KL Rahul (60) was the pick of the Indian batsmen, while Cheteshwar Pujara (57) gave him good support at the other end.
Stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane also provided some resistance, but he fell a little short of his half century, scoring 46.
However, Australia clawed their way back, with Lyon removing Pujara, Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Karun Nair.
India: 221/6 from 83 overs
Out! Another wicket for Lyon and Ashwin is gone. Plumb LBW! The batsman reviewed it but that wasn't going to save him. Should have played the delivery on the back foot. Tried playing it on the back foot, missed it and was pinned in front of the stumps.
India: 219/5 from 80 overs
Out! Big wicket for Australia. Skipper Rahane out, caught by Smith off Lyon's bowling. Third wicket for the off-spinner. Rahane should have played the delivery on the front foot, went back for some reason and ended up edging it to the first slip.
India: 167/4 from 65 overs
Out! That's poor from Karun Nair. Another opportunity gone. Nair tries to defend it on the back foot. The ball bounces, hits the glove and deflects off the thigh pad to short leg. Wicket-keeper Wade runs and takes the catch.
India: 157/3 from 61 overs
Wicket! Pujara out, caught by Handscomb off Lyon's bowling. The batsman would be disappointed, Australia would be ecstatic. Pujara attempted a forward defense, the ball spun and bounced more than he expected, taking an inside edge and deflects off the pad to the short leg fielder.
India: 153/2 from 60 overs
Tea! India have added 89 runs in the second session of Day 2 at the loss of one wicket. KL Rahul was the only casualty that India suffered in the post lunch session, the batsman was dismissed on a short ball off Pat Cummins' bowling.
Cheteshwar Pujara (53) and Ajinkya Rahane (19) are batting for India and the hosts still trail Australia by 147 runs.
India: 150/2 from 57 overs
Fifty for Pujara! His fifteenth fifty in Test cricket. What a season he has had. India have also crossed the 150-run mark and now trail by 150 runs more.
India: 140/2 from 51 overs
The run-rate has come down a little since Rahul's departure. India now trail by 160 runs.
India: 118/2 from 41 overs
Wicket! Finally a wicket for Australia. Cummins has been rewarded for his perseverance and Rahul has lost his wicket to a short ball. Lapse of concentration on the openers' part. Tried to pull a ball from outside off, the ball hit the bottom of his bat and Warner took an easy catch at mid-off. Ajinkya Rahane has come out to bat.
India: 107/1 from 39 overs
100 up for India! Rahul hits a boundary as India cross 100-run mark at the loss of one wicket. They still trail by 193 runs.
India: 89/1 from 34 overs
Fifty! Well played KL Rahul! The batsman brings up his half-century against Australia with a boundary over the mid-wicket off O'Keefe's bowling. His fifth fifty of the series.
India: 80/1 from 32 overs
India have stepped up the run-rate a little in the initial overs of the second session. Rahul just hit O'Keefe for a cracking six over the mid-wicket region. India now trail by 220 runs
India: 64/1 from 28 overs
Lunch! Australian bowlers put in a great shift this morning but the first session belongs to the home team. The new hard ball was expected to do more damage, but India lost only one wicket. Murali Vijay (11) fell to a peach of a delivery from Josh Hazelwood.
KL Rahul (31) and Cheteshwar Pujara (22) steadied India's innings as they put up 64 runs in the first session of day two of the fourth Test.
India: 58/1 from 25 overs
Cummins has bowled his heart out and would consider himself unlucky not to get a single wicket. Both Indian batsmen have shown a lot of maturity to deal with the short balls. India have added 58 runs this morning and trail by 242 runs.
India: 46/1 from 19 overs
Rahul and Pujara have steadied the Indian innings. Two boundaries have come in the last two overs. The aim for India will be not to lose anymore wickets before lunch.
India: 21/1 from 10.2 overs
Out! Murali Vijay out, caught by Matthew Wade off Josh Hazelwood's bowling. It was a probing spell from Hazelwood and Vijay finally knicked one back of a length delivery. Cheteshwar Pujara has come out to bat.
India: 17/0 from 8 overs
Nathan Lyon has been brought into the attack by Steve Smith. India batsmen are grinding it out, the attempt is to wait till the ball losses its shine. Smith would be repenting not having an extra pacer, there's not much in the pitch for a finger spinner and Australia have three of them.
India: 9/0 from 3 overs
Brilliant shot! Murali Vijay just hit a tremendous cover drive. Three deliveries before the boundary an uppish drive by Vijay just fell short of forward-diving David Warner at mid-off.
We are underway.
Dharamsala: India will aim for a strong reply with the bat after they bowled out Australia for 300 on Day 1 of the fourth and final test in Dharamsala, on Saturday. Aussie captain Steve Smith’s century and Matthe Wade’s hard-fought fifty helped the visiting team to reach the 300-run mark before debutant Kuldeep Yadav bamboozled Aussie batsmen on an excellent batting pitch.
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The hosts batted for one over before the end of day’s play and still trail by 300 runs.
India made two changes for the final Test with the series level at 1-1. Skipper Virat Kohli was forced to sit out due to a shoulder injury, Kuldeep Yadav was drafted into the side to replace the batsman. Senior Pacer Ishant Sharma was dropped to make way for pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
India made a good start to Day 1 as they picked the wicket of Matthew Renshaw early on in the first session. Thereon, Smith (111) and David Warner (54) stitched a 134-run partnership to put Australia on top.
The game changed quickly post lunch as Kuldeep dismissed Warner and Marsh (4) in quick succession. The debutant only got better with time as he dismissed Peter Handscomb (8) with a peach of delivery and bowled out Glenn Maxwell (8) with a wrong’un. India’s premier bowler, R Ashwin dismissed Smith in the second session to put the hosts in command.
Pat Cummins (21) was the first one to depart post the Tea session. Substitute fielder Shreyas Iyer run out Steve O’ Keefe (13). Wade (57) struck a gritty half-century to help Australia reach 300, he was dismissed by Ravindra jadeja. Nathan Lyon (13) was the last Aussie batsman to be dismissed, Bhuvneshwar picked his wicket.
