Perth Test: Australians battered by fiery Indian attack

Australia has a thin advantage thanks to a catch that sparked controversy and a five wicket haul by spinner Nathan Lyon.

Peter Handscomb takes the controversial catch to dismiss Virat Kohli. Picture: AP

Australia have the thinnest of advantages in a crackling Test match thanks to a catch that sparked controversy on the subcontinent and another five-wicket haul by spinner Nathan Lyon.

India, however, are pressing and suffocating, their seamers ruffling and bullying batsmen like an old-time West Indies attack.

The skipper Virat Kohli is conducting the crowd and his seamers from the slips cordon. The expatriate community in the stands and the four fast bowlers in the side obeying his every demand.

Tempers flared in the last over with Tim Paine and Kohli in an angry exchange over an appeal for caught behind.

Kohli and teammates went up for a caught-behind appeal in the final over, desperate to dismiss Paine. It was turned down and India had no interest in reviewing but stump microphones picked up Kohli having a dig at his counterpart.

“If he messes it up, it’s 2-0,” Kohli said, referencing the series lead he is so determined to take at Optus Stadium.

Paine replied “you’ve got to bat first, big head”.

Kohli and Paine continued to exchange words as they walked towards their respective dressing rooms.

“Tim just asked him where he was going for dinner,” Nathan Lyon laughed.

“I’ve played enough cricket against Virat to know what he’s like. Virat’s Virat.

“Virat Kohli is a great player, he plays on emotion. I am not concerned with how Virat reacts or the way he conducts himself, I just worry about what we can control in the Australian dressing room.

“I thought as bowlers we came out today and performed pretty well and this afternoon was hard Test cricket, it was exciting, but as players that’s what we want to be a part of.”

Wickets and batsmen fell as a harried Australia top order tried to scratch out an advantage in the face of a fierce attack.

Nothing came easy. They began their second innings with a lead of 43 runs and they finished day three with a lead of 175 but with four wickets down and an injured batsman.

Aaron Finch was taken to hospital with after a blow to the finger when he was on 25.

Coach Justin Langer is hopeful Finch can bat again, with the opener cleared of a fracture to his right index finger.

“It’s not fractured, which is really positive for us,” Langer told SEN.

“He was playing so well. It’s nice to have Finchy being able to bat, hopefully, in the second dig. Every run here is very important.”

Finch was in terrible pain when he left the field and can’t be expected to contribute much even if he does bat again.

Marcus Harris (20) was laid on his back by a brute of a bouncer and then sent back to the sheds when he left a ball from Jasprit Bumrah that held its line and flicked the bail. Shaun Marsh had been there for 11 balls when the pressure became too much for him. The local batsman fell when attempting an ambitious pull shot too early in his and his side’s innings.

Peter Handscomb (13) was trapped in front by Ishant Sharma. It is doubtful anyone has ever been more lbw.

Travis Head (19) lost his head, smashing a catch to third man despite two men waiting for just such a chance given he did the same thing in the first innings.

The wind swirled in the new stadium and Kohli bristled with intent on the third day of the match. Earlier the Indian skipper brought up the 25th century of his career and the sixth from 10 Tests in Australia.

He was out for 123 when Pat Cummins induced an edge that flew low to Handscomb in the slips. Kohli appeared to indicate that it hadn’t carried, but umpire Chris Gaffaney indicated he thought it had before asking the third umpire to check.

It looked out, although a few million Indian fans disagreed, and the soft signal from the field was firmed by Nigel Llong in the box.

Meanwhile Lyon’s reputation grows. It was the 14th five wicket haul of his career and he has taken seven against India. Only Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan has taken as many.

The spinner began the day with 0-34, but had the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane (51) with just the fourth ball of the day.

His haul shows how counter intuitive this game has become with the offspinner a chance to bowl his side to victory against a side that have opted for just the third time in the history of their cricket to enter a match without a frontline spinner.

India’s decision to load their side with seamers has given them a long tail which may have cost them the chance of taking a first innings’ lead but gave them every advantage.

The visitors lost 5-32 after Kohli was dismissed despite attempts by wicket keeper Rishabh Pant (36) to manufacture partnerships with the tail.