IND vs AUS: A no-ball, two sensational catches and several DRS errors - Why India lost 3rd Test in Indore

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On a wicket tailor-made for spinners India won an important toss and elected to bat. Many reckoned that the hosts won the match there and then but the first hour of Day 1 changed the entire narrative. Despite Rohit Sharma getting two dramatic life-lines on the first four balls of the match, India's fortune turned squarer than the Indore pitch.

After getting reduced to 45 for 5, India were soon bundled out for 109 in just 33.2 overs. There were a few moments on the first day which could have helped India claw back in the match, but that was not meant to be. Australia lost their last six wickets for just 11 runs on the second day but the unprecedented turn of events on Day 1 never left India's back. The match ended before lunch on Day 3 as Australia scripted an epic nine-wicket comeback win in the third Test to book their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

IND vs AUS: What exactly went wrong for India? Where did they lose the match? We have the answers

Top-order failure against spin

Apart from Rohit (207 in three matches) only two other India batters in the top-seven have scored over 100 runs in the series after three matches. Virat Kohli has scored 111 runs at an average of 22.20, while Ravindra Jadeja is behind him on the list with 107 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara scored a fifty in the second innings but only has 98 runs in the three matches so far. Ravichandran Ashwin follows Pujara with 79 runs. Axar Patel, who has batted mostly at the ninth spot, is the second-highest run-scorer for the team. He has scored 183 runs at an average of 92.50.

Clearly, the Indian top-order has failed and the same was the case in the Indore Test. Matthew Kuhnemann, who was playing his second Test, wreaked havoc with a maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings. Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon ran through the India batting line-up with eight wickets in the second innings.

Rohit admitted in the post-match press conference that there was a lack of application from the batters. He added that the team has collectively planned to play on such wickets. But it seems like the home boys are failing miserably in their home conditions of choice. They looked nervous out in the middle and their shot selection was questionable. Several batters got out while playing on the back foot and they lacked intent shown by their Australian counterparts who definitely looked more comfortable out in the middle.

An 'unacceptable' no-ball

Bundled out for 109 in the first innings, India made an early breakthrough after Ravindra Jadeja trapped Travis Head in the second over. Marnus Labuschagne walked in at three and was yet to open his account when Jadeja castled his stumps on a no-ball. It was for the third time in the series that Jadeja picked a wicket off a no-ball.

“Unacceptable. No way a spinner can be bowling no balls. He has to do something about it. He has picked up two Man of the Match awards [in the series] but this could cost India”, Sunil Gavaskar fumed in the commentary box.

A massive DRS Blunder, three lost reviews

A few overs later Labuschagne survived again after India opted against reviewing their LBW appeal. Having already exhausted two of their three reviews, Rohit decided against sending the decision upstairs after Ravichandran Ashwin appealed in the 11th over. Australia's number three was batting on seven.

He went on to score 31 off 91 balls and partnered for 96 runs off 198 balls with opener Usman Khawaja. Only one more Australian pair partnered for more than 25 runs in the match. In fact, Australia lost their last six wickets for 11 runs only. The course of the match would have definitely taken a different turn had Jadeja not bowled that no-ball and had India gone for that review.

Interestingly, a third unsuccessful review was taken by India later in the match.

Sensational catches ft. Steve Smith

After lunch on Day 2, India shifted gear with Shreyas Iyer smashing ballers all over the park. The momentum was fast changing and Iyer had raced to 26 off 26 with a couple of sixes and three boundaries. On the second ball of the 38th over, Iyer flicked a full-length delivery from Mitchell Starc only for Usman Khawaja to dive towards his left to complete a stunning low catch with reverse cups. India were reduced to 113/5.

However, gritty Cheteshwar Pujara was going strong on one end after completing his 35th Test fifty. He was en route to another crucial partnership with Axar Patel when he played a Nathan Lyon delivery drifting towards leg really fine. The ball went past the wicketkeeper but Steve Smith - standing on leg slip - dived low heroically towards his right and plucked a one-handed blinder. A stunned Pujara, who had paired with six batters already in the innings, had to walk back after his plan to forge a partnership with Axar was marred. The latter remained unbeaten on 15.

India now will look to iron out these flaws before taking the field for the must-win fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad. The team has already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after taking an unassailable 2-1 lead, however, a win is required to confirm their spot in the final of WTC 2021-23. Another defeat can see their fortunes relying on the upcoming Test matches between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.