[Watch] Steve Smith takes a blinder at leg-slip as Nathan Lyon gets Cheteshwar Pujara again

Steve Smith took a blinder. (Credits: Twitter)
Steve Smith took a blinder. (Credits: Twitter)

Australian captain Steve Smith took a stunning catch at leg-slip as off-spinner Nathan Lyon helped the visitors continue their ascendancy in the ongoing third Test in Indore.

The 33-year-old's catch ended Cheteshwar Pujara's resistance off 142 deliveries to leave India on the brink ahead of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday (March 2)

The dismissal occurred in the 57th over of India's second innings on Day 2 as Lyon hoped to finish off the hosts for as low a total as possible. Pujara, who had countered Australia's three-pronged spin-bowling attack quite well, tried to tuck a delivery down to fine leg.

However, Smith, who was stationed in that region, dived and stuck out his hand as the ball stuck in. The visitors were ecstatic as the right-hander has been a thorn in their side for quite some time.

The New South Wales cricketer started the procession on Day 2, dismissing Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and KS Bharat. The veteran spinner got his fifer by dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin as he strongly insisted for a review after Joel Wilson ruled it not out.

Australia started the day at 156-4 and had a magnificent first hour as they added 30 runs. However, they could not go any further, losing their last six wickets for 12 runs and returning with a lead of 88.

Nathan Lyon becomes the leading wicket-taker in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Nathan Lyon celebrates a wicket. (Image Credits: Twitter)
Nathan Lyon celebrates a wicket. (Image Credits: Twitter)

With his magnificent performance in the third Test in Indore, Lyon has surpassed Anil Kumble to become the highest wicket-taker in Border-Gavaskar Trophy history. His second-innings figures read 23.3-1-64-8, having claimed three in the first.

The 36-year-old took his eighth wicket by castling Mohammed Siraj for a duck, setting Australia 76 when they come to bat on Day 3.

The visitors trail the four-Test series 0-2 as they suffered twin batting collapses in the second innings in Nagpur and Delhi. While getting 76 will be tricky on a spiteful Indore surface, the Aussies should back themselves to get those runs.

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