Aussies battling as India take upper hand

[Glasgow]

India entered this Domain Test Series bearing the expectation that they might never face better prospects of creating history by defeating Australia on their home turf.

And needing six wickets while holding a 218-run buffer heading into tomorrow’s final day pf the campaign opener in Adelaide, it might also be ventured they have rarely held a stronger Test-match hand in territory where they’ve won just five matches in more than 70 years.

Yet their path to victory remains blocked by Australia’s last recognised batting pair Shaun Marsh (31no) and Travis Head (11no) upon whose shoulders rests the equally unlikely responsibility of finding their team a remarkable win, or the bravest of draws.

Either of those would represent a great escape given the dominance that India have slowly established over the past two days of a tightly fought contest.

And provide some temporary relief from the searching scrutiny again focused on Australia’s top-order batting, and particularly the tenure of opener Aaron Finch.

For the second time in three days, Finch found himself cast as lightning rod for a batting line-up weathering more than its quota of incoming storms.

Having seen his stumps flattened like a beach hut in a typhoon on Friday morning, the novice Test opener found it was his grasp of technology more so than technique that was called into question on the stroke of tea today.

Finch had reached 11 in a 38-run opening stand with debutant Marcus Harris when his forward prod against India’s trump card Ravi Ashwin saw the ball loop gently into the gloves of wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant.

England umpire Nigel Llong upheld India’s appeal for a catch, and Finch’s obvious uncertainty as to whether or not it had brushed bat or glove saw him consult Harris, which suggested a call for third-umpire review was imminent.

However, that lack of clarity among the Australia pair saw them opt not to query the decision which, given it had been adjudged out on-field, was defendable given Llong’s ruling could only have been overturned upon definitive evidence being tendered to show he had erred.

But that did not prevent Finch from being savaged by commentators and punters alike for his oversight, a sin seemingly compounded by his squandering of the good fortune that had blessed him at the outset of Australia’s innings.

Not-so-fresh from his ignominious third-ball duck in the first dig, Finch was fired out lbw from the second delivery he faced today, a decision that he judiciously chose to review.

Even before the video referee had heard expert evidence – which would ultimately have vindicated the on-field call – the case was turfed out upon confirmation that India quick Ishant Sharma had overstepped, and the delivery was illegitimate.

After three earlier brushes with DRS technology over the previous 24 hours, all of which fell in India’s favour, Australia had due reason to believe fortune might be belatedly swinging toward them.