Australia take control of the third Test as India are bowled out for 109 on a nightmare deck

Australia’s spinners have swept India in chaotic fashion to start the third test, knocking out the hosts for 109 in a range turner in Indore.

Left-footed Matt Kuhnemann, playing in his second Test, shone at 5-16 as India fell apart for their fourth-lowest total at home against Australia.

Australia’s trio of spinners Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy took nine wickets before India’s innings ended 30 minutes into the second session on Wednesday when Mohammed Siraj ran out.

After captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat, India stumbled to lunch at 7-84 as Kuhnemann and Lyon (3-25) stunned the hosts at Holkar Stadium.

India lost 5-18 in a collapse similar to the problem Australia found themselves in during the first two Tests.

Matt Kuhnemann (centre) took five wickets as Australia dismissed India for 109 on the first day of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Playing only in his second Test, Kuhnemann finished with figures of 5-16 in the first innings.

The hosts were briefly leveled through Virat Kohli (22), but young sensation Todd Murphy (1-12) claimed the Indian superstar’s wicket for the third time in this series with 20 minutes remaining in the session.

Lyon struck again in the closing stages before lunch to catch impressive wicketkeeper KS Bharat lbw for 17.

Bowling all-rounders Axar Patel (12 no) and Ravichandran Ashwin (three) rescued India from big trouble during the second Test in Delhi, but their feats were not repeated this time around.

It was drama in Indore from the start, with Sharma hitting Mitchell Starc with goalkeeper Alex Carey on the first ball of the match.

However, referee Nitin Menon did not give out Sharma and Australia did not review the decision.

Starc caught Sharma in front on the fourth ball of his first over with replays revealing that India’s opener would have been thrown out had Australia used DRS.

But Sharma only scored 14 when Carey stumped him while trying to break up a Kuhnemann delivery.

Kuhnemann also picked up key wickets from opener named Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer.

The most extraordinary wicket of the day was the first for Lyon, who managed to get a ball to spin and stay low to crash into the stumps of Cheteshwar Pujara.

Starc and the all-rounder Cameron Green opened the bowling after returning for their first match since suffering finger injuries during the Boxing Day Test win against South Africa.

Starc replaced Pat Cummins as Australia’s frontline quickly after the captain made the decision to return to Sydney to be with his seriously ill mother.

Steve Smith takes over as skipper for the third time since Cummins became Australia’s red ball leader in November 2021.

Green is playing his first Test on Indian soil, replacing Matt Renshaw, who was replaced by a concussed David Warner during the last match in Delhi.

Todd Murphy (left) claimed the prized ground from Virat Kohli (centre), who started for 22

Nathan Lyon took 3-35 in 11.3 overs as Australia defeated India in Indore

India removed vice-captain KL Rahul, calling on the young gun Gill to open the batting with Sharma.

Rahul has come under increasing pressure from the Indian faithful over his form and selectors have finally lost patience with the 30-year-old.

India also opted to trade veteran fast bowler Umesh Yadav for fellow fast Mohammed Shami.

Whoever wins in Indore will secure their place in the World Test Championship final at The Oval in June.