RANCHI: Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb thwarted India's hope of sealing an innings win in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as Australia were battling hard for a draw at the JSCA International Stadium on Monday.
Thanks to the duo's unbroken partnership of 82 runs for the fifth wicket, Australia went to tea at 149/4, just three runs behind. With just one more session remaining, the chances of a result favouring India looks very unlikely.
Coming together after Matt Renshaw and Steve Smith were dismissed in successive overs in the morning session of Day 5, the two defied the Indian attack with solid defense and ability to leave the ball. With the pitch not deteriorating, the Indian bowlers toiled hard to break this partnership, but never came close to it. Marsh was on 38, while Handscomb was batting on 44 when tea was called.
Earlier, Renshaw and Smith, resuming the battle from overnight total of 23/2, were cautious against Jadeja, who bowled unchanged from the South Pavilion End. Targeting the rough spot, he kept troubling Renshaw with his accuracy, but the left-hander used his feet well to negotiate the turn.
With the pitch not offering any assistance, skipper Virat Kohli made the pacers Umesh Yadav and Ishant to bowl wide of the off-stump, meaning Australia didn't get any easy runs. Once the hardness on the surface disappeared, India were back to attacking the stumps and Ishant got the better of Renshaw for 15, adjudged LBW.
Off the next over bowled by Jadeja, Smith, who until then was padding away deliveries that was pitched outside leg-stump, made an error in judgement. Trying to pad the delivery without reaching for it, he didn't offer a shot, and Jadeja had the off-stump uprooted leaving Marsh and Handscomb to do the rescue job.