Lyon spins out India as Australia lead by 105

12 December 2014 02:16

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon claimed his sixth five-wicket Test haul to bowl Australia into a handy lead over India on the fourth day of the first Test in Adelaide on Friday.

Lyon captured five for 134 off 36 overs to help dismiss the tourists for 444 and trail Australia by 73 runs in the first innings with more than five sessions to play.

At lunch, Australia had extended their lead to 105 runs at 32 without loss, with Chris Rogers on 19 and first-innings centurion David Warner not out 13.

India unravelled after resuming at 369 for five and lost five wickets for 75 on the fourth morning, with Lyon leading the way with his unpredictable turn out of the bowlers' footmarks.

Lyon, coming off an underwhelming series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates where he captured three Test wickets at an average of 140, thanked India paceman Ishant Sharma for creating demons in the Adelaide Oval pitch.

"It's pretty easy, we had big Ishant running down the middle of the wicket (in Australia's first innings)," Lyon said after Thursday's third day's play.

"I'm thankful for him making some footmarks. Hopefully, he does it the whole series."

Lyon's spin threat on the deteriorating Adelaide drop-in pitch raises the prospect of further success in India's second innings later in the Test match.

His best bowling performance was seven for 94 against India in Delhi last year.

It was an outstanding piece of cricket by Lyon that triggered the breakthrough 47 minutes into the morning session when he brilliantly caught Rohit Sharma for 43 off his own bowling.

Lyon dived across the pitch and snapped up a two-handed catch just off the ground to dismiss Sharma and enable the Australians to expose the Indian tail.

Karn Sharma survived a close leg before wicket appeal without offering a shot before Peter Siddle scattered his stumps with the next ball for four.

But Siddle made a hash of a catch on the boundary, giving Mohammed Shami a 'life' on nine off Lyon and the ball trickled over the rope for four.

Lyon had some luck when wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha was given out for 25 when caught by Shane Watson at slip, even though the ball appeared to come off Saha's pad and not bat.

Ishant Sharma was out two balls later, snapped up by short leg by Steve Smith off Lyon.

Mohammed Shami hit out lustily in the last wicket stand with Varun Aaron before getting a bottom edge to Watson at slip for 34 off 24 balls.

Source: AFP