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India vs Australia, 2nd Test at Bengaluru, , Mar 04 2017 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
2nd Test, Bengaluru, March 04 - 07, 2017, Australia tour of India
189 & 274
(T:188) 276 & 112

India won by 75 runs

Player Of The Match
90 & 51
kl-rahul
New
AUS 2nd Innings
Full commentary

What a great Test. This comeback from India sets up the series nicely. The final day lived up to its expectations. The whole Test was great. We have people at the ground to report and analyse what happened and what the fallout of this is. Thanks for joining us here, and do come back to read and watch the fallout. Goodbye

"Great Test match," says Steven Smith. "Certainly ebbed and floed throughout. I am proud of the way the boys played it. The partnership between Rahane and Pujara hurt us. They played really well. And we weren't up for it today. It was quite hard to play. Bit up and down with the quicks throughout the match, and that rough outside off. Quite difficult but Test match cricket is not supposed to be easy. A wicket like that, always umpires have to make a lot of calls. Everyone makes mistakes. Not that I am saying they made any. Series is well and truly alive. Great two Tests. Plenty to play for when we go to Ranchi."

"After losing the first Test the way we did," says Virat Kohli. "We wanted to bounce back and not show anyone but ourselves what we are made of. They showed the intent and the belief that we can win from any position. It was about taking responsibility. The way they showed heart and character, along with the crowd, is unbelievable. The moment they did not score big in the second innings, we knew we had a chance. We knew if we got anything over 150, we had a chance. After conceding the lead, Pujara and Rahane had a champion partnership. Two best Test batsmen we have got, so much character and technique and heart. Wriddhi's knock in the end, Ishant's application, that was a bonus. We would have liked anything over 200, we thought from 225 there was only one winner. The moment we got 187, we knew we needed in-out fields, we needed to finish it today. Can't wait for Ranchi. We need to push that momentum further. The team is not going to look back now."

"There is no better place for to perform like I did," says KL Rahul, the Man of the Match. "After that first loss, to come here and do what we did is really really special. we have achieved a lot but this win for a young team will be really really special. I have played all my cricket here. I told them if we get 150 lead we will win by 30. We knew the third day was the best day to bat on, and the approach from us was brilliant. There was a time they said when I get past 20 I get a hundred. That was a problem. Now if we get just fifty, that is a problem. On a serious note, I was disappointed. Openers need to get big runs. This was a disappointment but now that we have won, that disappointment is gone. My shouldr gets quite sore, I can't dive, and I have to restrict a couple of shots. It is not such a bad thing. I can bat within myself. I am enjoying batting with the problem"

Happy Indian team, and happy quotes from them all. We have heard from Ashwin, Yadav, Pujara and Rahane. We are yet to hear from Smith, Kohli and most probably KL Rahul, who should be the Man of the Match

"It was not coming out of the hand all right," says R Ashwin. "I was trying to turn it too hard. One good thing I did was when wickets were not coming, I kept the runs down. We just spoke inside the dressing room to bowl some short spells and keep changing over. That is why we were rotating so we could attack through such short balls."

"We were just trying to hit the deck hard," says Umesh Yadav. "We knew from where the ball was keeping up and down. Every time we were trying to hit the wickets. Always a pleasure playing with Ishant. He gives me ideas on how to bowl."

"We were not thinking too far ahead," says Ajinkya Rahane. "We knew 200 would be tough to get on this pitch. We wanted to unsettle the spinners. We wanted to dominate, not through boundaries, but through singles."

"It is a great feeling to beat Australia," says Cheteshwar Pujara. "The way we were so far behind, it is a great satisfaction. We just wanted a partnership. The balls were staying low. The way Nathan Lyon bowled in the first innings, we needed a Plan B, and we had it. Anything over 200 was almost impossible here. Once we crossed 150, we were confident. When I went in to bat, I never thought about the runs. I just had a positive intent. Now probably we will have the psychological advantage the way we have played."

Ashwin and Kohli, as usual, share the spotlight, but the team makes it a point to thank Jadeja. They must also thank Rahul, Pujara and Rahane. Rahul for keeping them alive with his twin fifties, and Pujara and Rahane for that wicketless session yesterday to put India ahead. This is India's ninth win this season, but might taste the sweetest after the crisis they found themselves in

Meanwhile, in another country, another sport, but the one and only Nagraj Gollapudi. He makes his debut as a badminton correspondent on our sister site ESPN.in and he's covering the All England Open, which starts later today. Saina, Sindhu, Lin Dan, the Great Danes, all in action over the next few days.

35.4
W
Ashwin to Lyon, OUT

Ashwin ends it with a return catch and throws the ball to the moon. Classic offspinners' dismissal to get the rival offspinner out. Tosses this up outside off, draws a drive, beats him in flight and accepts the catch himself

Nathan Lyon c & b Ashwin 2 (6b 0x4 0x6 6m) SR: 33.33
35.3
2
Ashwin to Lyon, 2 runs

Lyon gets off the pair with a thick outside edge past slip

India on the brink of one of their greatest Test wins after having been bowled for 189 on the first day. This will bring the series to life, and will breathe fire into a time that seemed like it was tiring

35.2
W
Ashwin to Handscomb, OUT

that's a 25th five-for for Ashwin. Is this another topspinner? No it is a regulation offbreak. Handscomb tries something desperate with only tail for company. Jumps out of the crease, doesn't get to the pitch of it, and hence tries a slog. The ball, though, explodes from the pitch and stands up to take a massive edge for Saha to claim running a few metres back

Peter Handscomb c †Saha b Ashwin 24 (67b 2x4 0x6 84m) SR: 35.82
35.1
Ashwin to Handscomb, no run

tossed up on off, driven back to Ashwin

end of over 35Wicket maiden
AUS: 110/8CRR: 3.14 
Nathan Lyon0 (4b)
Peter Handscomb24 (65b 2x4)
Ravindra Jadeja 8-5-3-1
Ravichandran Ashwin 12-4-39-4
34.6
Jadeja to Lyon, no run

expansive drive outside off. The thick edge falls short of cover

34.5
Jadeja to Lyon, no run

length ball, angling in, defended off the inside half of the bat

34.4
Jadeja to Lyon, no run

pushes forward to a defensive shot

34.3
Jadeja to Lyon, no run

stays back to defend a flat delivery

In comes Nathan Lyon. Took eight wickets on day one. Nothing in the second innings

34.2
W
Jadeja to O'Keefe, OUT

Jadeja too good. He has created many wickets today, but now he gets one in his own ledger. O'Keefe plays a forward defensive to a length ball. The ball hits a crack, refuses to turn or bounce. It rolls along the ground to hit the stump mic on the middle stump. India two wickets away

Steve O'Keefe b Jadeja 2 (10b 0x4 0x6 18m) SR: 20
34.1
Jadeja to O'Keefe, no run

full, middle and leg, played back to Jadeja

"I guess Warner's dismissal balances Kohli's " Divyanshu, how so? In Kohli's case there was no conclusive evidence he hit it first. Here I am seeing conclusive evidence that Warner was struck outside the line, but the machine saw something else. I am happy for them to prove me wrong

Here is Jadeja

end of over 34Maiden
AUS: 110/7CRR: 3.23 
Peter Handscomb24 (65b 2x4)
Steve O'Keefe2 (8b)
Ravichandran Ashwin 12-4-39-4
Umesh Yadav 9-2-30-2
33.6
Ashwin to Handscomb, no run

looks to sweep. Ashwin pushes one through flat. Handscomb is beaten but he gets outside the line

33.5
Ashwin to Handscomb, no run

down the wicket again, the ball dips on him, and he has to defend this to leg

33.4
Ashwin to Handscomb, no run

down the wicket to defend a flighted off break

33.3
Ashwin to Handscomb, no run

down the wicket and drives it back to Ashwin

33.2
Ashwin to Handscomb, no run

turn and bounce again. Handscomb goes back to defend. Lets it turn before playing it late

33.1
Ashwin to Handscomb, no run

sharp turn from a length outside off. Handscomb keeps his hands out of the way and is hit high on the pad

Ashwin has now gone past Bishan Bedi's tally of 266 Test wickets. He is now the fifth-highest wicket taker for India in Tests.

end of over 333 runs
AUS: 110/7CRR: 3.33 
Steve O'Keefe2 (8b)
Peter Handscomb24 (59b 2x4)
Umesh Yadav 9-2-30-2
Ravichandran Ashwin 11-3-39-4
32.6
Umesh Yadav to O'Keefe, no run

short of a length, outside off, defended to cover

A short leg comes in

32.5
1
Umesh Yadav to Handscomb, 1 run

short of a length, to straight, worked away to deep square leg for one

32.4
Umesh Yadav to Handscomb, no run

bouncer, just outside off, he ducks it. Good steam from Umesh

32.3
1lb
Umesh Yadav to O'Keefe, 1 leg bye

short of a length, kicks at him, concedes a leg-bye

The more I look at the Warner replay, the more I struggle to see any umpire's call on impact. Wonder what the machine saw. Welcome my friend, welcome to The Machine

32.2
Umesh Yadav to O'Keefe, no run

short of a length, straight, flicked to square leg

32.1
1
Umesh Yadav to Handscomb, 1 run

full, on the pads, clipped away to deep square leg for one

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