India beat Australia by an innings and 135 runs in the second Test.
Scores: Australia 9(dec)-237 & 131; India 503.
India’s Cheteshwar Pujara is in rare form with the bat and says the Australians need to show some patience if they want to dig themselves out of a big hole in the second Test.
Michael Clarke’s men will resume on Tuesday’s fourth day on 2-74 in their second innings, still requiring another 192 runs to make India bat again.
Offspinner Ravi Ashwin has already bowled David Warner (26) and Phil Hughes (duck) and Australia’s hopes early on day four rest on opener Ed Cowan (26 not out) and Shane Watson (nine not out).
Pujara hit 204 in India’s first innings of 503, sharing a 370-run partnership with Murali Vijay (167) which is a record for India for the second wicket.
He says the Hyderabad pitch is starting to play tricks.
“Now there’s a bit of help for the spinners,” said Pujara, who has scored four centuries in his 11-Test career including two double-hundreds.
“It’s turning a little more and the odd ball is jumping. It’s good for spinners and you have to apply yourself to bat well.”
This is good news for India’s three-pronged spin attack but bad news for Australia, who’ve already lost Warner and Hughes to sweep shots and need to show plenty of improvement in a hurry if they hope to avoid an innings defeat.
Australia were bowled out for 380 and 241 in their eight-wicket loss in the first Test in Chennai and Pujara has seen little in this match, including Australia’s 9-237 declared in the first innings, to suggest they’re making the right adjustments.
“They need to apply themselves,” he said.
“They don’t know how to go about it on turning tracks. They have prepared but we know what are their strengths and are trying to find their weaknesses.
“And I think our spinners have been doing it successfully so far. Our spinners need to continue doing what they are doing.”
Hughes has made only 25 runs at an average of 6.25 in the series, falling to spin on all four occasions.
The third Test of the four-match series starts in Mohali on March 14 and Australia will have plenty to ponder, with Usman Khawaja in the wings if Hughes is dropped.