Pitch Please! Fans on Twitter Come Down Heavily on ‘Dustbowl’ as India are All Out for 109

Last Updated: March 01, 2023, 13:21 IST

3rd Test, Day1; India were bowled out 109 against Australia (AP)

Fans blamed the Indore pitch after India were bowled out for 109 as some others wondered how the Australian would fare

Australia bowled out India for 109 in their first innings soon after lunch on the first day of the third Test Wednesday, with spinner Matthew Kuhnemann taking five wickets and Nathan Lyon three.

Virat Kohli top-scored in Indore with 22 followed by opener Shubman Gill, picked instead of the struggling KL Rahul, who made 21. Kuhnemann took 5-16 and Lyon 3-35.

Fans were not happy with India’s Total but wondering how the Australian would fare on the Indore pitch:

ALSO READ | Dry, Drier, Driest: How Team India Chose The Indore Test Pitch

Tourists Australia, trying to fight back after being well beaten in the first two Tests, introduced spin in the sixth over after India elected to bat first.

It brought instant reward in a frenetic opening session, with Kuhnemann getting skipper Rohit Sharma stumped for 12 off his left-arm spin.

Shubman Gill, in for struggling KL Rahul, attempted to hit back with three fours but fell to Kuhnemann for 21.

Senior off-spinner Lyon then bowled Cheteshwar Pujara for one with a delivery that spun hugely and stayed low.

Wickets kept tumbling with Ravindra Jadeja out for four off Lyon and Shreyas Iyer bowled by Kuhnemann for a duck, as India slipped to 45-5 in the first hour of play.

Virat Kohli looked positive in his knock of 22, but fell lbw to Todd Murphy, the third time the off-spinner has claimed the star batsman’s wicket in as many matches.

At the start of play, returning left-arm quick Mitchell Starc had Rohit caught behind but the appeal was turned down and Australia did not review, only for replays to show the batsman had nicked the ball.

Three balls later Australia missed another review on Rohit after the ball hit the batsman’s pad and the tracker technology suggested an lbw.

But Rohit, who hit a century in the previous Test, did not last long and neither did the rest of India’s top and middle order.

India already have a 2-0 lead in the four-match series to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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