Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli steadied India with a very good stand against some probing bowling. Lyon was hitting the rough and asking a lot of questions, Mitch Johnson was ripping in with the bouncers and even hit Vijay once on the arm, Siddle was getting a bit of reverse swing going but the duo remained focused and saw it all through to prop India.
Australia vs India, 1st Test - Live Cricket Score, Commentary
Series: India tour of Australia, 2014-15 Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Date & Time: Dec 09-Dec 13, 10:29 AM LOCAL
Spectators dressed as Santa Claus at the start of Day 5 of the first Test in Adelaide. © Cricbuzz
India went into lunch at 105/2. Not a bad session but wickets are at a premium on the last day and India will feel slighted by the wrong decision that got Dhawan. There were 64 overs left in the day with India needing 259 and Australia needing 8 wickets. The match could not be better poised for a tight finish.
David Warner rode on his luck to register his second ton in the same Test match, which he has done so for the second time this year, to power Australia to a position of strength at the end of Day 4 of the opening Test in Adelaide.
The belligerent Australian opener scored 102 to follow his knock of 145 in the first innings and has now scored 11 centuries in 33 Test matches. Warner did not shy away from having a few words with the Indian players during his knock which helped put Australia gain a 363-run lead heading into Saturday's final day.
One of the confrontations was triggered when Warner was bowled by Varun Aaron for 66 in the 34th over, only to be recalled when replays showed Aaron had bowled a no-ball. Aaron had given Warner a triumphant send-off, but the pugnacious opener responded in kind when he was recalled to the crease. Shane Watson, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan all joined in, exchanging sharp words before umpire Ian Gould eventually calmed down the warring parties.
Steve Smith also came good with the bat, scoring an unbeaten half-century while Mitchell Marsh hit a blistering 40 off just 26 balls. Earlier in the day, Nathan Lyon (5/134) claimed his sixth five-wicket haul in Tests to bowl India out for 444 and help Australa gain a handy lead of 73 runs.
Australia declared at their overnight 290 for five to set India 364 runs to win on the final day. No team has scored more than 315 to win a Test match at the Adelaide Oval since Australia overhauled England at the ground in 1902.
Mitchell Johnson delivered the early breakthrough Australia were hoping for, getting rid of Shikhar Dhawan for 9 in the 5th over. It was a brilliant short delivery that the left-handed batsman could not sway away from and was given out caught-behind after Brad Haddin held on to a superb catch. However, Dhawan was unlucky as the ball only clipped his shoulder on the way to the keeper and umpire Ian Gould got it wrong.
Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara steadied the Indian innings with a good partnership. They were watchful to start off with before scoring a few boundaries. Vijay, who managed the first maximum of the innings off Lyon in the 16th over, survived a close leg-before shout in the same over when he decided not to offer any shot. Replays suggested that the ball would have hit the stumps, and Lyon had this to say to the umpire after he ruled in favour of the batsman: "Are you sure? The last time you said that, it was hitting middle."
Pujara fell against the run of play, getting out to Lyon in the 20th over on 21. The batsman played off the back-foot against a delivery which he ideally should have been forward to. He pushed at it without much conviction and ended up getting an edge to the keeper, who held another fine catch. India were 57/2 at this stage. It also exposed Pujara's weakness against off spin in particular. Lyon got him for the 2nd time in this match and it was also the 13th time that Pujara fell to off spin
Murali Vijay impressed yet again when he got to his 8th Test fifty and his second of the match. He has come on leaps and bounds as an opener since the South Africa series and has easily been India's most consistent batsmen in overseas tours over the last year.
Australia suffered a blow when Michael Clarke hobbled off the field after injuring his leg while fielding. It appeared that Clarke twisted his ankle quite badly but might have done something to his problematic hamstring as well.
Clarke was subsequently sent for scans and it was his right hamstring that was the problem again.
Virat Kohli went past fifty for the second time in the match and seemed determined to carry on. He played Johnson and Lyon superbly and was the key in numbing the Australian attack. The Indian captain needed to put in one big effort again if India were to stave off defeat.
When Vijay and Kohli were batting well, there were hardly any chances or even close calls. One did come though just before tea. A half-chance. Vijay punched a Johnson delivery on the up and tried to go over short extra cover but Mitchell Marsh dived across and got his left hand to it but just could not latch on. It was a rare loose shot from Vijay all innings but he lived to survive this one.
Totally India's session. Kohli and Vijay batted brilliantly to keep India in the hunt. Clarke's injury was felt by the Australians showing how big an impact he has as a skipper on the field. 159 runs needed for India in 37 overs. The unbeaten 148-run stand between Vijay and Kohli has raised India's hopes considerably and the pressure is just starting to build on Australia.
Marais Erasmus, the umpire, is not the one to give LBWs unless they are absolutely plumb. Even so, Lyon would consider himself quite unlucky not to have had both Kohli and Vijay. The former had a very close shout going his way soon after tea. Lyon got one to turn in just enough from round the wicket, Kohli missed a sweep and was struck low on the front pad first before it hit his back thigh. Erasmus missed it and went in favour of the batsman. Earlier, Vijay shouldered arms to a delivery turning in sharply. Then too, Erasmus felt that the ball was going down the leg. On both occasions, the ball-tracker showed that Erasmus had got it totally wrong.
The game went from 1st gear to 5th gear in a span of minutes. At one point, both Vijay and Kohli were on 99. The former had a few close calls then and was looking nervous as well. However, Kohli got to his second of the match confidently. He became only the second player to score twin tons on captaincy debut and the first overseas player to do so in Australia in 53 years.
Soon after, the rub of the green went against Vijay who went back to pull a sharp turned but was struck on the pads. The umpire was convinced this time and Vijay stared in disbelief on missing out on a ton yet again. He made 97 in Durban, 95 in Lord's and now 99 in Adelaide!
There was more drama in the same over when Ajinkya Rahane was adjudged caught bat-pad at short leg for a duck. The game had sprung alive all of a sudden. However, replays showed that Rahane was unlucky to be given out. There was no bat on it but Australia were now back in the hunt for a win. They were a wicket away from getting into the inexperienced batsmen and the tail.
Nathan Lyon single-handedly kept Australia fighting. On the fifth day, it was his responsibility to provide the breakthroughs and he did not disappoint. Rohit Sharma lunged forward to defend but the ball popped out of the rough, took the glove and went to leg slip. India had only Saha now before the tail came in. Australia will not give in and the game had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Wriddhiman Saha came out to bat under pressure and for a while seemed to relish it. He confidently strode down the track to tonk Lyon for a six and then swept him for a boundary as well. However, the rush of blood got the better of him. He went for another big hit in the same over but Lyon managed to beat him in flight this time and Saha was bowled.
Lyon had his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests and India were in serious danger of losing the game now.
Live by the sword and die by the sword. Virat Kohli could not put a foot wrong thus far in the day but just when India needed him to see off the day, Kohli went for the pull off Lyon and holed out to deep mid wicket. It was the end of a superb innings but the downfall also came with India going for the win, it offered Australia a lot more chances to pick wickets as well. In the end it cost India dear.
With just 14 overs left in the day, the need of the hour was some sensible batting. It didn't come from Mohammed Shami. The pacer, inexplicably, went for wild heave against Ryan Harris, miscued it totally and holed out to long off.
The second new ball and Mitchell Johnson's pace was simply too good for Varun Aaron. The left-arm pacer swung the ball back in sharply and Aaron was nowhere close to the ball and was nabbed plumb in front
Fittingly, it was Nathan Lyon who bagged the final wicket. India lost 6 wickets for 39 runs in the last 10 overs before the final wicket. Ishant Sharma came down the track to Lyon, who spun it down the leg and Haddin was quick to whip the bails off. India lost the match by 48 runs. Apart from the 99 from Vijay and 141 from Kohli, there was nothing of note from any other Indian batsman. The win was a possibility but the execution faltered. India could have their chins up for going for victory bravely. They were led from the front by a superb knock from Kohli but his team-mates fell short.
Australia, in contrast, rallied around Lyon who was the wrecker-in-chief on the fifth day pitch. It was an emotional victory for everyone involved and one that they would cherish for years to come.
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