By Andrew Wu
- Mark Waugh accuses Kohli of having a 'brain fade'
- Live cricket scores: Australia vs India Second Test scorecard
Bangalore: Australia has India on the verge of breaking point after Nathan Lyon produced a record-breaking performance that has left Steve Smith's team tantalisingly close to retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
After four days of play, it's the world No.1 whose campaign is in disarray and, to the surprise of many, not the men wearing the baggy green.
Man of the moment: Nathan Lyon claimed a career-best 8/50 - the best return ever by a foreign bowler on these shoresCredit: AP
Their captain and inspiration, Virat Kohli, has been made to look a fool, their top six are out of form, unable to be rescued by a tail that has surrendered without a fight, and they are putting down catches in the field.
Australia reached stumps on 40/0, in reply to India's 189, knowing a strong performance with the bat on the second day will all but shut India out of the game.
Close call: Lokesh Rahul watches Peter Handscomb drop the ball early in the day.Credit: AP
For the third time in as many innings, India's batsmen folded meekly against Australia's supposedly impotent tweakers, who have defied predictions and made the world's best players of spin look clueless.
Steve O'Keefe dominated in Pune but on Saturday it was Lyon's turn to run rings around India's shellshocked batsmen.
Australia's most prolific finger-spinner claimed a career-best 8/50 - the best return ever by a foreign bowler on these shores - as the home side crumbled for the third time in a row. It was his first five-wicket haul since the Adelaide Test in 2014, the first match Australia played after the death of Phillip Hughes.
"It doesn't top it. Obviously that Test match was special for other reasons, but we don't need to go into that right now," Lyon said.
Nathan Lyon appeals successfully for the wicket of India's captain Virt Kohli.Credit: AP
"This is very special, don't get me wrong, I don't think it's really hit me yet."
He will resume the second innings on a hat-trick.
The pitch at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium is already playing tricks, however India would have fancied posting considerably more in their first innings.
Their saving grace may be the footmarks created by Mitchell Starc, which are perfectly placed for Ravi Ashwin to weave his magic. Remarkably, nine of the 10 wickets that fell came from the Pavilion End.
After losing 7/11 and 7/30 in Pune, India can now add 6/33 to their wall of shame.
The only meaningful resistance again came from Lokesh Rahul, who made a fighting 90 after being given lives on 30 and 61 by Peter Handscomb and David Warner respectively.
It has been a remarkable turnaround by Lyon, who many felt should not have been on the plane to India after an indifferent tour to Sri Lanka. He did himself no favours either during the summer, where he came perilously close to losing his position in the side.
Those tough times must now be a distant memory for Australia's most prolific finger-spinner.
Lyon's record in India has been poor but rarely has he been given a track offering such bounce by subcontinental standards.
That said, only two of his wickets came via his strong suit, the rest from a mixture of sharp turn and natural variation - traits which Lyon's critics believe he has lacked.
As is always the case with India, Kohli's wicket was the big one. Bowled shouldering arms last week, Kohli failed to offer a shot again only for the ball to cannon into his pads.
Three innings into the series, the world's No.2 ranked batsman is yet to fire a shot with scores of zero, 13 and 12. Kohli denied on match eve he was under pressure but his manner of dismissals are those of a player whose thought process is scrambled.
"He's the head of the snake, to put it in Dale Steyn's terms, and the body will fall away," Lyon said of the Indian captain after the match.
"The second time in this series that Virat Kohli has been dismissed leaving the ball. A judgment error from the best batsman in the world," Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports.
"There's only one reason for that and it's pressure. Pressure created by Nathan Lyon.
"It's something so rare from Virat."
Worse still, despite being trapped plumb in front he burned a referral, conceding defeat before the video umpire had even called up the ball tracker.
Australia did little wrong on the first day though they will be disappointed not to have dismissed Rahul earlier.
Both chances were not straightforward however expectations are high on fielders the quality of Handscomb and Warner.
Handscomb's, off the bowling of Steve O'Keefe, was sharp and low to his left while Warner got two hands to a ball that flew to him at leg slip from Lyon.