Indore (PTI): India's aggressive approach on a track offering vicious turn backfired as Australia reduced the hosts to 84 for seven after a rather eventful opening session of the third Test here on Wednesday.

Like the last two Tests, the pitch was expected to offer plenty of turn but the ball turning square in the first hour of play and the odd one keeping low came as a slight surprise.

Matthew Hayden on air called the the black soil surface at the Holkar Stadium a day-three pitch and it sure behaved like one.

Three batters including skipper Rohit Sharma (12), Ravindra Jadeja (4) and Shreyas Iyer (0) perished while trying to attack.

Virat Kohli (22 off 52) looked assured in the middle before being trapped lbw by Todd Murphy towards the end of the session.


Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon took took three wickets each.

Winning the toss for the first time in the series, India expectedly decided to bat first. Shubman Gill replaced an out-of-form K L Rahul in the playing eleven while Umesh Yadav was brought in for the rested Mohammad Shami.

Rahul has been struggling for runs and finally Gill, who is in terrific form of late, got a chance.

Having regained match fitness, both Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green made Australia's playing eleven.

Starc's first over to Rohit was among the highlights of the session. Before the spinners ran through the Indian batting, Starc got the ball to swing giving the India skipper a tough time.

Rohit got a faint outside edge on the very first ball he faced but Australia did not take a review. Three balls later, Starc got the ball to swing back in and it flicked Rohit's pads. Ball tracking showed the ball would have hit the off stump but Australia decided against taking DRS again.

Gill faced Green from the other end and began his innings with an elegant cover drive.

Spin was introduced in the sixth over and Kuhnemman got the ball to turn sharply. In the last ball of the over, Rohit stepped out to play across the line and got beaten in the flight and Alex Carey made a clean stumping.

Kuhnemann had Gill caught at first slip with the opener getting a thick outside edge while offering a forward defence.

Cheteshwar Pujara's stay lasted only four balls as Lyon got one to turn massively from wide off stump that crashed into the middle stump. The ball kept a tad low as well and Pujara was found wanting on the back foot.

Jadeja's fall made it 44 four.

After surviving a close DRS call, the southpaw went for the attack against Lyon and was caught at short extra cover.

Kuhnemann got this third wicket of the morning when Iyer played an attempted cut on to his stumps and within first hour of play, India had lost half their side.

Kohli and K S Bharat shared 26 runs for the sixth wicket and looked confident in the middle. However both departed towards the end of the session to end a rather forgettable sessions for the hosts.

Kohli was adjudged leg before off Murphy while trying to flick one that pitched on the off-stump and turned to hit the middle.

Bharat, who slog swept Murphy for a six, was out lbw to Lyon while offering a long defensive stride.

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Bahrain: Dr. Arathi Krishna, Vice President of the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Forum, Government of Karnataka, participated as the Guest of Honour at the prestigious Global Women’s Economic Forum and Exhibition held on January 13, 2025 in Bahrain.

The international event, known for its pivotal role in empowering women entrepreneurs and professionals, provided a unique platform for showcasing business innovations and fostering leadership among women.

During the event, Dr. Krishna emphasized the significance of women’s contributions to entrepreneurship and technological advancements. She noted that the forum's dynamic workshops, panel discussions, and expert speeches offered specialized insights into innovative practices, financial management, and the adoption of new technologies. These knowledge-sharing opportunities are designed to support emerging women entrepreneurs, enabling them to thrive in a competitive global marketplace.

Highlighting the transformative power of such initiatives, Dr. Krishna remarked on the growing achievements of women entrepreneurs in traditionally male-dominated sectors. She acknowledged that the event not only celebrated success stories from across the globe but also inspired young women to pursue entrepreneurship and leadership roles. The participation of women-led businesses from diverse nations underscored the universal nature of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.

Dr. Krishna also engaged in thoughtful discussions with successful women leaders and interacted with representatives of various Kannada associations in Bahrain. She reiterated her appeal to the global NRI Kannada community to strive for excellence and greater accomplishments in their respective fields.