If day one provided the fireworks, day two brought the intrigue as Australia and India battled it out on a crumbling wicket in Indore.
But day three could be anyone’s as Australia bowled India out for 163, leaving Australia needing 76 to win the third Test, thanks to Nathan Lyon’s eight-wicket haul.
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Australia entered the second day in the drivers seat with a slender lead and six wickets in hand.
After the opening hour of play it looked like the Aussies would go on to build a decent first innings lead. But in the space of six overs it all fell by the wayside.
Indian took control of the innings after inserting Ravi Ashwin into the attack, a move that took a peculiar 58 minutes to come about.
The momentum completely flipped as Australia fell apart, losing six wickets for 11 runs in the space of 34 deliveries.
It was then over to India to show they have what it takes on a wicket that was deteriorating at an extraordinary rate.
After an early struggle, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer put the bowling attack to the sword as the Aussies looked completely lost at sea.
Pujara carried the hopes of the nation on his shoulders as he fought valiantly at the crease as his teammates fell around him.
Lyon tore the heart out of the Indian line-up and with the insane help of Steve Smith, finally sent Pujara packing.
Fielding at leg slip Smith snapped up a wild flick from Pujara in his right hand in a moment that left the cricket world in disbelief.
An utterly brilliant innings from the middle order star comes to an end after piling on 59 runs from 142 deliveries.
Pujara whipped the ball off his toes but Smith at leg slip showcased his otherworldly abilities as he snapped it up in his right hand.
Lyon finished the day with figures of 8/64 as India were bowled out for 163, leaving Australia needing 76 to win in a match which will likely be wrapped up before lunch on day three.
9.55pm – ‘Greatest catch ever’ stuns cricket world
Cheteshwar Pujara has been sent packing after a masterful catch from Steve Smith, once again coming off the bowling of Nathan Lyon.
An utterly brilliant innings from the middle order star comes to an end after piling on 59 runs from 142 deliveries.
Pujara whipped the ball off his toes but Smith at leg slip showcased his otherworldly abilities as he snapped it up in his right hand.
Lyon claims his sixth scalp on the day as the Aussies now hunt down the final two wickets with India currently holding a 67 run lead.
Lyon almost struck with the very next delivery only for Umesh Yadav to survive thanks to DRS. One ball later he wasn’t so luck as he holed out to Cameron Green on the boundary.
9.20pm – Another umpiring howler overturned
Another Nathan Lyon appeal turned down by Joel Wilson only for DRS to show the ball would have collected the middle of leg stump.
Lyon claimed his fifth wicket of the innings when he broke a crucial partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravi Ashwin.
Ashwin strode forward with the ball collecting his front pad marginally before hitting the bat, Steve Smith wasted no time in calling for the review after Wilson get his arm by his side in what is becoming a common occurence.
So far in this Test there have been five reviews which forced the umpires to overturn their original decisions. Three against Wilson, two against Nitin Menon.
9.05pm – Pujara raises the bat with a half-century
Cheteshwar Pujara has lifted the Indian team on his back with a terrific second innings knock that shifted the momentum in India’s favour.
Sadly he’s been left to play a lone role as his teammates have crumbled around him with the locals only having four wickets in hand and a slender 45 run lead.
8.25pm – Instant breakthrough after bowling change
The Australian spin attack began to lose its way as the Indian batters took the upper hand and flipped the script.
Steve Smith made the call to bring Mitchell Starc into the attack and after a wayward opening delivery he struck on ball two.
Shreyas Iyer got decent willow on the ball, but a diving Usman Khawaja hauled it in with a spectacular catch, proving his back is clearly feeling alright.
8.10pm – India hit the front
Six wickets in hand and India have hit the front on a wicket that has been rapidly falling apart ever since the opening over yesterday.
Australia entered the day in a commanding position but now find themselves in dangerous territory and needing to knock the final six wickets over cheaply if they’re to claim a first victory this series.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer are putting the Australian bowling attack to the sword as the boundaries begin to flow.
7.35pm – Lyon again as Aussie skipper fumes
Nathan Lyon thundered a ball into the pads of Ravindra Jadeja and in unison the Aussies rose shouting at the top of their lungs.
Umpire Joel Wilson however wasn’t having any of it as he opted to give it not out, in the blink of an eye Steve Smith called for the review as he threw his arms up by his side in the direction of the umpire wondering how his finger wasn’t raised.
DRS showed the ball was going on to hit the middle of middle stump and Wilson was forced to overturn his original decision.
The wicket saw Lyon eclipse Muttiah Muralitharan as the most prolific spinner against India.
7.15pm – Worrying news rocks Australian camp
Usman Khawaja was the pick of the batsmen in the third Test as he carried the Australian attack with a stellar knock of 60 from 147 deliveries.
But as Australia came out onto the field for four overs before lunch, Khawaja was nowhere to be seen.
Cricket journalist Louis Cameron shared the worrying news that Khawaja didn’t take to the field due to an injury concern.
AAP’s Olly Caffrey confirmed Khawaja had left the sidelines to go and get his back worked on behind the scenes.
“Usman Khawaja has not been fielding after his gritty 60 yesterday due to back soreness. He just left Australia’s box and has gone to work on his back outside,” he wrote.
In the middle of the second session however Khawaja emerged and took his place in the field, albeit in a slightly hidden position just inside the boundary rope.
7pm – Kuhnemann claims the big scalp
Matt Kuhnemann has carried his stellar form from the first innings into the second as he captured the vital wicket of Virat Kohli.
Kohli stepped back in his crease as he looked to pull the delivery into the leg side only for the ball to hit his back leg directly in front of leg stump.
The Indian superstar didn’t even bother calling for the review, walking straight off as the Aussies celebrated.
6.25pm – Indian skipper’s selfish act condemned
The dangerous Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has been given his marching orders after Nathan Lyon caught him on the crease.
Coming around the wicket the ball pitched on middle stump before keeping low and thundering into the pads of Sharma.
Sharma sent it upstairs for review but the absolutely plumb decision was confirmed by DRS. It continues his horror run of calling for reviews after burning through all three in the field on day one, all three weren’t overturned.
5.45pm – Lyon roars early in second session
Nathan Lyon has picked up the opening wicket of India’s second innings after clean bowling Shubman Gill shortly after the lunch break.
Gill looked to get on the front foot against the spin of Lyon as he danced down the wicket looking to launch one into the stands.
Unfortunately he was completely deceived and missed the ball with a wild swing as the red ball thumped into the stumps.
4.40pm – ‘Diabolical’ scenes as Aussies crumble
Hopes had risen following the first hour of play as Cameron Green and Peter Handscomb withstood the Indian attack as they built on the lead.
But things fell apart quickly in the second hour as Indian turned the tables.
Aussie fans may have been fuming over a questionable DRS decision, but there was nothing to question about Indian’s dominance with the ball on day two.
In the space of six overs Australia’s first innings came to an end as the home side fought back in brutal fashion.
India flipped the script as they crushed the Australian line-up by capturing the final six wickets for only 11 runs.
The collapse began with Handscomb edging one to the fielder under the helmet but it was Green’s dismissal that left fans seeing red.
After being hit on the back pad and given out, Green sent it upstairs for review only for the ball to appear to be missing leg stump but the technology stuck with the umpire’s decision.
Triple M’s Rudi Edsall wrote: “Fair dinkum, that should be not out. That is a shocking call.”
Sports journalist Mark Gottlieb wrote: “The umpiring in this test has been diabolical.”
CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy wrote: “Somehow that LBW looked plumb live, but also not out on the replay.”
After that the wheels completely fell off as the wickets fell at a brutal pace with all six wickets coming in only 34 deliveries.
It makes it the latest ugly collapse the Australian’s have suffered throughout this series.
In the first Test the Aussies fell apart on two occasions. In the first innings they lost 6/68 before being completely knocked over in the second innings for 84 runs.
During the second Test in Dehli it was another second innings collapse, this time with the Aussies losing 8/28.
4.25pm – The collapse has taken over
Mitchell Starc didn’t last long at the crease after his off stump was sent flying out of the ground courtesy of Umesh Yadav.
Australia still hold the upper hand but will be hoping to pile on the runs to put India in a brutal spot on day two.
Moments later it was Alex Carey who was on his way back to the sheds after being hit on the pads by Ravi Ashwin.
The finger from the umpire went up almost immediately with DRS showing the ball had hit in line and was going on to take middle and leg stump.
Yadav struck again in his next over in similar fashion as he knocked over the off stump of Todd Murphy to give him three wickets.
4.15pm – Fans fume over ‘diabolical’ technology
Cameron Green becomes the second player to depart after being given out LBW off the bowling of Umesh Yadav.
It gives India two wickets in two overs.
Green sent the dismissal upstairs for review only for DRS to show the ball clipping the wickets and staying with the umpires decision.
The Aussie threw his head back as the decision came through with some fans not happy with the technology, believing on first look it looked plumb only for DRS to show the ball appearing to miss leg stump entirely.
Triple M’s Rudi Edsall wrote: “Fair dinkum, that should be not out. That is a shocking call.”
Sports journalist Mark Gottlieb wrote: “The umpiring in this test has been diabolical.”
CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy wrote: “Somehow that LBW looked plumb live, but also not out on the replay.”
4.10pm – First wicket falls on day two
Peter Handscomb is back in the sheds after Ravi Ashwin claimed the opening wicket on day two.
After a big stride down the wicket the ball from Ashwin turned just enough to capture the inside edge of Handscomb’s bat with Shreyas Iyer taking the catch under the helmet.
3.45pm – Aussies plugging away
Indian’s hopes the pitch would replicate the opening day’s session aren’t coming to fruition as Cameron Green and Peter Handscomb dig in.
While the runs aren’t flowing, the good news for the Aussies is the wickets currently aren’t tumbling.
2.30pm – ‘Doctored’ pitch ploy drastically backfires
India’s plans were thrown out the window early on day one when the pitch resembled a day three wicket in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Questions of the pitch were raised by cricket fans and legends far and wide as many believe the conditions will see the third Test done and dusted inside three days.
Veteran cricket writer Robert Craddock added to the pile-on, stating that India’s pitch ploy had blown up in their faces.
“Doctoring a Test wicket is a delicate business,” he wrote in the Courier Mail.
“The Indore deck did not look like an accident. Much like the other two decks in the series it was green in the middle and dryer than desert sands at both ends – and cracking like a car window with a stone through it.
“If India lose the Test by overcooking the deck then they will deserve no sympathy. If they win it they deserve limited praise.”
Craddock’s brutal remarks came in the wake of former Test skipper Michael Clarke sticking the boot in over the conditions.
“What is this pitch we’re playing on,” he said on Sky Sports Radio.
“For me, it’s the puff and dust that’s being picked up from either the quicks or the spinners. It shows it’s only going to get worse. It’s like a Day 3 pitch on Day 1 in India.
“You don’t want to see that. India could have been bowled out for 70.”
Mark Waugh on Fox Cricket labelled it “not up to Test standard”.
“That was mayhem. The pitch is not up to Test standard. The ball going through the top within the first 20 minutes of the Test match. That’s not good enough,” Waugh said.
“If the ball is going through the top in the first 20 minutes of a Test match off the main part of the pitch, that’s going to show the pitch is not up to Test standard.
“That’s the main part of the pitch on middle stump. That’s just not a pitch up to Test standard. That’s not good enough. It doesn’t matter how good a player you are, you’re going to need to get luck.”
Matthew Hayden was even more scathing.
“This is why I’ve got a problem with these conditions. There’s no way in the world that a spin bowler should come on in the sixth over,” Hayden said on Fox Cricket.
“4.8 degrees, that’s massive turn. That’s the sort of turn you’d expect day three. You’ve got to give batters a chance … Day one, day two should be about batting.”