Pujara ensures Australia’s hope is rapidly extinguished

Cheteshwar Pujara’s unbeaten 82 saw the hosts comfortably home with 158-4 after skittling their beleaguered opponents for 164 in their second innings.

Ravindra Jadeja took 5-58 to do most of the damage, with only tail-ender Peter Siddle offering any resistance with 50 – his first Test half-century – as Australia’s batsmen undid all the good work achieved on Saturday and first thing yesterday morning by Nathan Lyon.

The chase always looked well within India’s grasp and was achieved with room to spare, despite two more wickets for Lyon, who finished with nine for the match.

That all came after things had looked to be going Australia’s way at the start of the day as India added only six runs to their overnight total.

A brilliant spell of spin bowling from Lyon on Saturday had dragged Australia back into contention and the 25-year-old off-spinner did not take long to re-find his rhythm.

Resuming on 266-8 – having bowled out the tourists for 262 – the Indian tail had hardly settled before Lyon completed a career-best haul of 7-94 by snaring the final two wickets with the first two balls of his first full over.

He first drew Ishant Sharma into a shot with a good delivery from around the wicket that found the gap between bat and pad and hit leg stump, and then trapped Pragyan Ojha plumb lbw with one which straightened after pitching on middle.

The renewed hope Australia may have harboured heading into the second innings with only a 10-run deficit swiftly diminished after they went out to bat again.

Glenn Maxwell opened the batting in place of Ed Cowan, but perished in the fifth over, edging a good-length delivery from Jadeja on to his off stump for eight.

Opening partner David Warner followed suit – also for eight – lbw to the first ball of Jadeja’s next over.

Phil Hughes (six) also succumbed to spin, coming forward to defend one from Ravichandran Ashwin and being undone by the turn.

Shane Watson, captaining in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke, contributed five before having his middle stump dislodged by Ojha, and the departure of Cowan (24) – batting at No 3 – lbw playing across the line to Jadeja next over left Australia reeling on 53-5.

Steve Smith and Matthew Wade set about steadying the ship for the visitors and reached lunch on 89-5.

Neither man managed to get to 20, though.

Smith was bowled between bat and pad by Jadeja, with Mitchell Johnson following for a duck with his very next ball.

Australia had been reduced to 94-7, but pace bowler Siddle proved an unlikely source of resistance.

Ojha did for Wade for 19 and Sharma for James Pattinson for 11, but Siddle battled his way to a 45-ball 50 before he was stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he came down the track to Ashwin.

Australia needed their attack to fire to have any chance of rescuing the situation and, although Maxwell bowled Murali Vijay for 11, Pujara and Virat Kohli brought India to the verge of victory.

Kohli fell lbw to Lyon for 41 and the spinner also trapped Sachin Tendulkar for one, but Pujara continued to add runs at the other end and, partnered by Dhoni, guided his side home.