India 252 for 9 (Rahul 84, Jadeja 77, Cummins 4-80, Starc 3-83) trail Australia by 193 runs
India took a massive step towards leaving Brisbane with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy still level, as their last-wicket pair put on a rousing, unbroken 39 to steer their team past the follow-on mark. With only one day’s play remaining, Australia’s chances of winning this third Test have taken a big hit, particularly as they contend with the absence of Josh Hazlewood, who has been ruled out of this Test match and possibly the rest of the series with a calf strain.
In Hazlewood’s absence, his two great fast-bowling buddies took on a massive workload, sending down 60% of the 74.5 overs of India’s innings, with Pat Cummins picking up four wickets and Mitchell Starc three.
Their efforts, however, couldn’t stop India from getting past the magic figure of 246. KL Rahul survived a dropped chance off the first ball of the day – a portent of Australia’s fortunes – and went on to score 84, and Ravindra Jadeja contributed 77 brilliantly controlled runs, taking full toll of facing a depleted attack using an old ball on a predominantly new-ball pitch. When Cummins dismissed Jadeja with a well-directed short ball, however, India were still 33 short of making Australia bat again.
It was then that Akash Deep joined Jasprit Bumrah, in a partnership of extraordinary assurance – Bumrah ended the day with a control percentage of 86 and Akash 90 – that reflected Australia’s straitened circumstances. It also reflected the duo’s skill and resilience with the bat. Bumrah hooked Cummins for six on his way to 10 off 27 balls, while Akash hit two fours and a six to finish on 27 off 31.
It was Akash who moved India past the follow-on mark, slashing Cummins over a leaping gully fielder. Two balls later, he cleared his front leg and launched him for a massive six over wide long-on. That was the last scoring shot of the day with the umpires calling the players off the field for bad light after one more ball.
It was another stop-start day at the Gabba, though not to the extent that it was on day three, and if it helped Australia’s depleted attack stave off exhaustion, it also ate away more time from the match. Only 57.5 overs were possible through the day.
By the end of it, Australia were left ruing events at its very beginning. Cummins got the first ball of the day to rear at Rahul in the corridor, and he fended it straight to Steven Smith at second slip. Smith is one of the world’s great slip fielders – he went on to demonstrate this later in the day – but this time the ball simply bounced off the heels of his hands.
Cummins struck soon after, removing Rohit Sharma with a terrific one-two. First, he zipped a short ball past his ribcage, not allowing him to connect with a pull. Then he shifted the ball full and outside off stump. Rohit didn’t get far enough forward to play this ball safely – and with his front shoulder too open – and ended up edging his attempted drive to the keeper.
India were 74 for 4 at this stage, and had only faced 23.3 overs. Jadeja’s entry, however, calmed them down, and he settled into an innings where his control percentage hovered in the mid-90s throughout. It helped that Hazlewood went off the field soon after Jadeja walked in, after bowling just one over, and it helped that the ball stopped seaming and bouncing quite as awkwardly as it had done when it was new, but Jadeja batted with an organised gameplan that ensured he made the best of his circumstances.
More to follow…
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