Smith plays mind games as Kohli praises Aussie team

Virat Kohli (right) and teammates appeal unsuccessfully for Glenn Maxwell's wicket. - AP

Skipper Steve Smith said the momentum was now firmly with Australia in their battle against India after a fine final-day rearguard action by his batsmen saw the visitors draw the third Test on Monday.
Australia, who began their second innings 152 runs adrift of India, were in deep trouble after being reduced to 63-4 before Peter Handscomb (72 not out) and Shaun Marsh (53) put on 124 for the fifth wicket.
The tourists eventually reached 204 for 6 at stumps on the fifth and final day, after the hosts made a mammoth 603-9 declared in their first innings in Ranchi.
Ravindra Jadeja claimed four wickets to return overall match figures of 9-178 at India's newest Test venue. But Smith said Australia would go into next weekend's series finale in Dharamsala full of confidence.
"If there's anything called momentum in cricket, it's with our side at this moment," Smith told reporters after the match.
"India coming today would have expected to bowl us out. I'm sure they're hurting a little bit in their change room. Having said that, it's (four-match series) 1-1 and looking forward to the decider."
Cheteshwar Pujara (202) and Wriddhiman Saha (117) were the main stars of the match for India with a 199-run seventh-wicket stand on Sunday, while Smith himself scored an imperious unbeaten 178 in Australia's first innings.
But it was Handscomb and Marsh's 232-minute resistance on the final day - broken only late in the last session - that proved decisive.
Jadeja dismissed Marsh and his fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin then claimed the wicket of first innings centurion Glenn Maxwell for two, giving India brief hope of a dramatic final twist in the tale.
But a composed Handscomb played out the remaining few overs with Wade for company as Australia avoided defeat in their 800th Test.
"I'm proud with the way the boys were able to stick it out today," said Smith.
"The way Marsh and Handscomb batted today was fantastic. I thought they played beautifully. They didn't look like they were getting out for a while. I'm really proud of them.
Meanwhile, India skipper Virat Kohli credited Marsh and Handscomb with preventing an Australian defeat.
"We got ourselves into a very good position," Kohli said after the match. "Losing the toss here was never easy. Not being able to take the field and watching the opposition get big runs was difficult. But we batted beautifully.  "We didn't expect a 150-run lead. Yesterday two wickets, we thought we had a good chance, but credit to the two batsmen, they batted really well. Guys want to push the barrier, their physical limits, their mental toughness," he added. - AFP/IANS
"Credit to Australia for playing out the draw, but we played ourselves into a position where we could win." 
Kohli lavished praise on Chesteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha who helped India to a dominating position with their epic seventh wicket stand of 199 runs.
"The partnership between Saha and Pujara is the best I have seen. When you play only one format, you are always extra determined to make it count. Pujara is very motivated, and he is really good at Test batting," Kohli said. 
"This is the best I have watched him bat. Saha did it in West Indies, he did it in Calcutta as well, and here under pressure, he really stood up. 
"You feel happy for him because he is such a wonderful guy. Always smiling, always happy for whoever achieves anything. I don't think it was the wicket, it was the ball, soft, not doing much," he added. 
Kohli said that left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who returned a match haul of 9/178, was "unbelievable".
"I don't know about the lot of balls. Jadeja is unbelievable. He is a gun in the field too. I have never seen anyone bowl so economically for so long ever."
The fourth and final Test will now take place at Dharamsala from March 25-29 with the series locked at 1-1.