Australia faces fight for survival

Tuesday, 5 March 2013 00:33 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Australia will have to fight a rearguard action to save the second Test against India in Hyderabad, after losing early wickets late on day three. At stumps, Australia was 2 for 74 in its second innings, still trailing by 192 runs with two days remaining. Earlier, Australia’s bowlers had hit back, as India lost 9 for 116 to be all out for 503.

Australia’s openers David Warner and Ed Cowan made a solid start on a turning deck, with an opening partnership of 56 before Warner tried to sweep Ravichandran Ashwin and was bowled for 26. Phil Hughes looked ill at ease against the spinners before he fell in similar fashion for a nine-ball duck, bowled by Ashwin on a mistimed sweep.

Cowan and number four Shane Watson survived until stumps, with Cowan not out on 26 and Watson unbeaten on 9 including a big six. Ashwin’s two wickets meant that nine of the 10 wickets to fall on day three were taken by spin.

India had resumed on 1 for 311, and the tourists struggled early to stop the partnership between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara, which reached 370 runs before Glenn Maxwell made the breakthrough before lunch.Vijay was the man to go, edging to Cowan at slip to depart for 167. Pujara made his second career double century soon after, before falling to a Xavier Doherty catch off the bowling of James Pattinson for 204.

Chief scores: Australia 237 for 9 dec and 74 for 2 (Ashwin 2-42) trail India 503 (Pujara 204, Vijay 167, Maxwell 4-127) by 192 runs