India were in a comfortable position to clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy having reached 19 for loss after being set a mere 106 to win, at Dharamsala on Monday. Openers Murali Vijay (6) and Lokesh Rahul (13) were at the crease at the end of day's play.
Earlier, India bowled out Australia for merely 137 runs, the bowlers running riot with the Aussie batting line-up. It was a brilliant team effort by India as Umesh Yadav as well as the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja all chipping in with three wickets each while medium-pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the big wicket of Steve Smith, clean bowling him with a short ball.
Glenn Maxwell top scored for the Aussies with 45 runs. Earlier, Jadeja once again shone with the bat, coming up with his seventh Test fifty as India ended their first innings on 332, a significant lead of 32 on a spiteful pitch.
Jadeja scored 63 in 95 balls and featured in a seventh wicket partnership of 96 runs with Wriddhiman Saha (31). For Australia, Nathan Lyon (5/98) picked up another five-wicket haul.
After Jadeja and Saha's commendable job, the Indian pacers got into the act. Umesh Yadav got the struggling David Warner with one that nipped just about enough to take the edge. The big moment came when Smith tried to pull one off Bhuvneshwar, but only managed to edge one on to the stumps. Yadav then bowled a brute to Matt Renshaw to leave Aussies reeling at 31 for 3.
Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell added a half-century partnership to help Australia recover to an extent. But, Ashwin had Handscomb brilliantly caught at slip by Ajinkya Rahane as India returned to the top again.
--By A Cricket Correspondent