Rain dominated the opening day of the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, reducing play to just 13.2 overs. India won the toss, with skipper Rohit Sharma opting to bowl first. New inclusions Akash Deep and Ravindra Jadeja made their debut in this series, replacing Harshit Rana and Ravichandran Ashwin, respectively.
However, persistent rain forced multiple interruptions, and Lunch was called early. Play never resumed for the rest of the day, leaving both sides frustrated and prompting an early start for the remaining days.
Despite limited action, Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney capitalized on the brief opening session. India’s pace attack failed to register scalps well in time as both the batters capitalised on the opportunity. The duo settled in quickly, smashing a few boundaries and setting the tone for Australia.
Day 2: Travis Head, Steve Smith Dominate as Australia Post a Mammoth Total
Day 2 saw Australia take firm control of the match. Travis Head once again proved to be an obstacle for the hosts, smashing 152 off 160 balls. Head shared a colossal 241-run partnership with Steve Smith, who scored his 33rd Test century, a gritty 101. Smith’s innings marked a return to form after a lean patch, while Head’s aggressive knock was laced with boundaries and quick runs.
Australia ended the day at 405/7, putting immense pressure on India. Jasprit Bumrah was the lone bright spot for the visitors, claiming an impressive 5/72, his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests. The Indian unit, however, found little support from the rest of the bowling unit.
Day 3: Rain Interruptions and India’s Top-Order Collapse
The third day began with rain once again playing spoilsport, leading to frequent stoppages. Despite this, Australia managed to extend their first innings total to 445, with Alex Carey contributing a crucial 70 runs. Bumrah struck early to remove Mitchell Starc, while Akash Deep claimed a wicket by wrapping up the Australian innings.
India’s response with the bat was disastrous. Reduced to 51/4 by stumps, the visitors were left reeling under a fiery Australian pace attack. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood exploited the conditions masterfully, dismissing India’s top order with ease.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli fell in quick succession, all guilty of playing loose shots. Jaiswal, who nicked the first ball he faced for four, was caught at square leg off the very next delivery. Gill followed shortly, edging a full-length delivery to gully, where Mitchell Marsh took a stunning catch. Kohli, after surviving a near golden duck, eventually fell to Hazlewood, nicking an outswinger to the slips.
KL Rahul stood good with his phenomenal defence sending loose deliveries to the boundary while skipper Rohit Sharma joined him as India looked to rebuild, but the team still trailed by 394 runs at stumps.
It will be interesting to see how team India bounces back to take a lead in the series at the ongoing test at the Australian Fortress, The Gabba in Brisbane.
Scorecard Day 3 Stumps-
India: 51/4 (KL RAHUL 33* (64), Rishabh Pant 9 (12)], Australia [Mitchell Starc 2-25, Pat Cummins 1-7
India Trail by 394 runs.
With inputs from agencies
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