PERTH, (Reuters) – India were 73-4 at lunch today with its top four batsmen back in the pavilion.
Australia captain Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to bowl first in the third test on what is expected to be a lively wicket with plenty of bounce at the WACA today. India lost Gautam Gambhir for 31, Virender Sehwag for a duck, Rahul Dravid for 9 – clean bowled again – and Sachin Tendulkar for 15 – failing again to get the golden 100 centuries mark. Ben Hilfenhaus has so far taken two wickets.
Australia, who lead the four-match series 2-0, decided to drop spinner Nathan Lyon and include pacemen Peter Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc in a four-strong attack.
“The pitch has got a fair bit of grass, and we decided to go in with four quicks,” Clarke said. “Bowling first today will help us win this test match.”
India have also gone with four paceman, handing right-armer R Vinay Kumar his test debut in place of spinner Ravi Ashwin in an otherwise unchanged side. “We would have liked to bowl as well,” said India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “The Perth wicket will help the fast bowlers more than spinners.”
Dhoni and the India selectors have resisted pressure to tamper with their batting line-up and Virat Kohli survives at number six to leave Rohit Sharma still awaiting his test debut.
