A score of 300 doesn't look too bad on paper, but Australia, having won the toss, would be disappointed with this. Given how they ended the first session on a high, they succumbed to the surprise element - Kuldeep Yadav. The chinaman bowler ran through the middle order, and got the important wicket of David Warner. Warner's wicket opened the floodgates and India went on to boss the session after lunch. Steven Smith scored his third century of the series, but he kept running out of partners and the pressure mounted. Wade resisted with a fifty but he was batting with the tail. Kuldeep didn't finish with a five-wicket haul, but he will take this any day.
India played out one over safely. Do join us again tomorrow for India's innings.
------------------------
UPDATES
Australia 300 all out - WICKET - Lyon c Pujara b Kumar 13
Bhuvneshwar sneaks in a wicket so Kuldeep cannot take a five-for after all! India took the new ball at the start of the over, it swung back in, Lyon tried to work it to the deep midwicket fence but Pujara took it low at midwicket.
It's not stumps yet though. India will play just one over.
Australia 298/9 - WICKET - Wade b Jadeja 57
Jadeja has struck, and Wade falls with Australia two short of 300, he goes for the big slog sweep, misses and Jadeja his the off stump. Now can Kuldeep take that one available wicket and claim a five-for on debut?
86 overs - Australia 293/8
India are continuing with the old ball . They had the option of taking the new ball after 80 overs.
The only cheerful news for Australia since tea is Wade's fifty . Australia are approaching 300. They are 8 down and Lyon can bat.
Meanwhile, Wade is approaching his fifty
269/8 - WICKET - Steve O'Keefe run out 8
Great bit of fielding by the substitute Shreyas Iyer. Wade worked it towards square leg and called for a quick single. O' keefe wasn't fast enough and was struggling to reach the other end, Iyer picked it up and fired a flat throw to Saha who broke the stumps with the batsman well short. What took time though was to ensure Saha didn't dislodge the bails before the ball reached him. Only one bail was dislodged before the ball properly landed inside the gloves. The third umpire was convinced it was a legitimate run out
245/7 - WICKET - Cummins c and b Yadav 21
Kuldeep is one away from a five-wicket haul on debut! He tosses it up high and invites Cummins to go for the big hit down the ground, just like he tempted Handscomb, Cummins couldn't clear the bowler and he ended up taking the catch in front of his face
Australia looking to consolidate after tea, with Wade and Cummins at the crease. Kuldeep gets a rest so it's Jadeja and Ashwin bowling in tandem.
TEA, day 1 - Australia 208/6
60 overs - WICKET - 208/6 Smith c Rahane b Ashwin 111
Ashwin gets the Big Fish! Smith's resistance ends and this is a huge blow for Australia. Ashwin bowls round the wicket, lands on middle and off, Smith is on the backfoot to defend, didn't turn as much and he edged it low to Rahane at first slip
Smith alone has three centuries in this series. That's equal to the combined total of centuries scored by others. Is Smith batting on a different wicket?
51 overs - Australia 185/5 (Smith 101)
Meanwhile Smith scores his third century of the series! Amid the ruins after lunch, Smith has stood out for Australia, he gets there with a boundary to fine leg off Kuldeep
WICKET - Australia 178/5 - Maxwell b Kuldeep Yadav 8
Kuldeep on fire! And this time he bowls the chinaman ball. Maxwell was squared up on the backfoot, didn't pick the googly, pitched on middle, turned and hit the top of the off stump
WICKET - Australia 168/4 - Handscomb b Kuldeep Yadav 8
The debutant is justifying his selection! Dream wicket for any spinner, the ball was tossed up, inviting the drive, good drift towards the right-hander, Handscomb was waiting to play an expansive drive, left a big gap between bat and pad and the ball hit off and middle stump
WICKET - 153/3 - Marsh c Saha b Umesh 4
India have another wicket after the break. Yadav dug this in short, down the leg side, Marsh tried to pill but the ball brushed the glove on the way to the wicketkeeper
34 overs - 144/2 WICKET - Warner c Rahane b Kuldeep 56
Warner edges to slip but this time the catch is taken! Kuldeep gets his first Test wicket, loose shot from Warner, the ball spun a little, extra bounce , bit too close to cut and he edged it to slip where Rahane takes a sharp catch.
Remember, Warner was dropped first ball of the match, off Bhuvneshwar. He went on to score 56.
32 overs - The teams resume after lunch. In case you just joined us, India are playing five bowlers in this game, with Kuldeep Yadav, a bowler, replacing Virat Kohli. Is this a gamble?
LUNCH, Day 1 - Australia 131/1 (Smith 72, Warner 54)
Easy to figure out who took control of this session. It could have been a slightly different story had Warner not been dropped first ball of the match. The swing looked really encouraging for the fast bowlers but Australia capitalised on some short and wide balls by the fast bowlers. Renshaw played down the wrong line and lost his off stump but that was the only success for India. Ashwin couldn't stem the flow of runs.
Brisk session for Australia. We'll be back for the second session. Time to grab some filter coffee.
Kuldeep Yadav gets a warm welcome to Test cricket with a boundary off his first ball. It wasn't that bad a ball , to be fair. Warner cuts to third man but it was a touch risky. A second slip may have taken the catch.
With that boundary, Warner reaches his fifty.
27 overs - Australia 120/1
Smith and Warner have already added 100 together and Warner isn't too far from his fifty. He was dropped first ball.
Virat Kohli does drinks duty during the fourth Test
Virat Kohli might not be playing but you can't keep him off the field for too long
Is Steve Smith looking for a century before lunch? Went down the pitch to Ashwin and lofted him for a boundary down the ground. Later on, cuts wide of cover. Ashwin dropping it too short
Kuleep Yadav, the chinaman bowler, debuts today. Here's a short profile of him.
22 overs - Australia 89/1
Believe it or not, this is the highest stand (79) between Smith and Warner in Tests.
Rapid fifty by Steve Smith. Gets there off a single off Ashwin. The Australian captain is taking charge. He exploited some short and wide deliveries by Bhuvneshwar
Sunil Gavaskar gets ready for his commentary stint
Jadeja comes on in the 17th over. A slip and a silly point. When will we see Kuldeep? In the same over, silly point goes off, forward short leg in place
R Ashwin is brought on in the 12th over. Nearly gets Warner but the ball doesn't carry to the fielder deep at cover
10 overs, Aus 52/1: No matter what line of the attack the seamers try, over or round the wicket, Smith is scoring boundaries with conviction. One was full and wide and bashed wide of cover - "like a tracer bullet". Guess the commentator. He just whipped one to deep midwicket
7 overs: 34/1 : Eventful over from Bhuvneshwar. One ball is on the pads which Warner easily flicks for four. Then later in the over the ball suddenly kicks up, takes Warner by surprise, and he spoons it over the slips.
Virat Kohli, who's missing this match due to his injured shoulder, has volunteered to carry drinks! That's the best he can do to stay close to the action
Even Umesh was bowling round the wicket to Smith
1.4 overs - Australia 10/1 WICKET - Renshaw b Umesh Yadav 1
Umesh hits the timber! Renshaw has to go. Lovely ball from Umesh, this swung back in towards the left-handed Renshaw, he was looking to play a big drive straight, ended up leaving a big gap between bat and pad, the ball brushed the pad and pegged back the off stump
Three slips, a gully and a short leg for Umesh Yadav
Match 4, Ball 1: DROPPED : Warner gets a life straightaway! Karun Nair was a bit late to react at third slip, and to make things worse it rolls to third man for a boundary. Prodigious outswing for Bhuvneshwar, Warner was tempted to push at it, poor shot, Nair moved to his left but ended up sticking his left hand out
Beautiful, sunny morning in Dharamsala. Three slips and a gully for Bhuvneshwar Kumar
India made two changes, bringing in Kuldeep Yadav in place of Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in place of Ishant Sharma.
Mohammed Shami and Shreyas Iyer, two players who were drafted into the squad late yesterday, will miss out. Iyer was called up as cover for Kohli.
Kuldeep Yadav is a left-arm chinaman bowler, part of a rare breed. Other well-known chinamen bowlers are Brad Hogg, Paul Adams.
Australia are unchanged .
Toss : Australia have won the toss and they will bat first .
India captain Virat Kohli will miss the fourth and final Test against Australia with a shoulder injury he had suffered in the previous match in Ranchi, batting coach Sanjay Bangar said before the start of the match on Saturday.
Kohli, who hurt his shoulder while diving to stop a boundary in the drawn third test in Ranchi, was hoping to be fit for the decider at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium which is hosting its first Test.
Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in Kohli's absence .
The four-match series between the world's top two Test team is level at 1-1.
After a hectic Test season, India will be facing a determined Australia in the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala on Saturday.
During a press conference on Friday, Virat Kohli admitted that he is not even close to hundred percent fitness with a possibility that his right shoulder injury could get aggravated while fielding in the series decider.
India
KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Karun Nair, R Ashwin, WP Saha (wicket-keepeer), Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav
Australia
DA Warner, MT Renshaw, SPD Smith (captain), SE Marsh, PSP Handscomb, GJ Maxwell, MS Wade (wicket-keeper), PJ Cummins, SNJ O'Keefe, NM Lyon, JR Hazlewood
