Australia bowled out for 300 after Kuldeep Yadav takes 4-68
DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Newcomer Kuldeep Yadav took 4-68 Saturday as Australia wasted a strong start to its first innings and was bowled out for 300 on day one of the fourth test against India.
Steve Smith (111) held the innings together at the HPCA Stadium with his 20th test hundred.
Openers Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay successfully negotiated the one over remaining in the day's play with India scoreless at stumps on 0-0.
After tea, Matthew Wade (57) and Pat Cummins (21) had extended their seventh-wicket partnership to 37 runs, giving Australia much needed respite.
Kuldeep Yadav then broke through in the 73rd over, dismissing Cummins with a simple caught and bowled.
Wade, who scored his fourth test half-century, added another 24 runs for the eighth wicket with Steve O'Keefe (8).
O'Keefe was run out by substitute fielder Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja (1-57) bowled Wade close to stumps. India took the second new ball and Australia was dismissed with Nathan Lyon (13) falling to Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-41).
Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets in the post-lunch session as Australia collapsed from 144-1 to 208-6.
It was a dream debut for the 22-year-old Kuldeep Yadav, who had waited patiently in the wings this entire series. "I was told in the morning that I would play. I have been trying hard to get this chance, and both my coaches and myself used to get impatient. But I knew this chance would come," he said.
"Smith batted really well, but the other wickets came easy. I learnt the 'flipper' from Shane Warne and used it to get (David) Warner out. That was a nice feeling."
Smith and Warner (56) put on 134 runs for the second wicket after Australia won the toss and opted to bat. Umesh Yadav (2-69) bowled Matt Renshaw early in the innings.
Warner, dropped at third slip on the first ball of the match, scored his 24th test half-century off 72 balls. His partnership with Smith developed either side of lunch for the highest second-wicket stand in this series.
The partnership was broken after lunch as Warner was caught at slip off Kuldeep Yadav and the slide began as Australia collapsed to 178-5. First, Shaun Marsh (4) was caught behind off Umesh Yadav in the 38th over.
Kuldeep Yadav struck twice more, bowling both Peter Handscomb (8) and Glenn Maxwell (8) with some clever turn. Wade then put on 30 runs with Smith as Australia crossed 200 in the 57th over.
Smith reached his hundred off 150 balls to become the first Australian skipper to score three centuries in a test series on Indian soil. Overall, he became the second visiting captain to do so, after Alastair Cook's feat in 2012-13.
Soon afterward, Smith was caught at slip off Ravichandran Ashwin (1-54). In all, he faced 173 balls and hit 14 fours.
It was Ashwin's 79th wicket in the 2016-17 season, going past Dale Steyn's record of 78 wickets in 2007-08.
"From 140-odd for one, you have to push on but full credit to India. They really bowled well in the post-lunch session. We found a way to grind out 300 runs and it was a good effort. Steve (Smith) is playing a different game at the moment, and he is making it look very easy," Wade said.
"The cracks (on the pitch) are playing a big role with the spinners as well as the quicker bowlers, and we will look to create opportunities tomorrow."
India skipper Virat Kohli was ruled out of the match as he had not fully recovered from a shoulder injury when fielding on day one in the third test at Ranchi.
The four-match series is pegged at 1-1. Australia won the first test in Pune by 333 runs, while India won the second test in Bengaluru by 75 runs. The third test was drawn.
