Decisive Test in balance as rain clouds Australia's victory push

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Mohammed Siraj snared five wickets in just his third Test as Australia was dismissed for 294 late on day four on Monday, setting India a target of 328 to win the series-deciding cricket Test at the Gabba.

The highest successful run chase at the Brisbane venue was in 1951, when Australia finished 236-7 against the West Indies. The Australians haven’t lost at the Gabba since 1988, but nobody is counting India out.

With the series locked at 1-1, India need 328 runs for victory or to bat all day for a draw to pull off the remarkable feat of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite being severely weakened by injuries and captain Virat Kohli's paternity leave.

Siraj had Josh Hazlewood caught on the boundary to end Australia's innings and return figures of 5-73 as clouds formed over the Gabba.

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill then faced just 11 balls, reaching four without loss, before light rain ended play.

Siraj and fellow quick Shardul Thakur (4-61), playing only his second Test, were exceptional as they kept the Australian scoring rate largely under control while taking wickets at regular intervals.

"It was my dad's dream that I should play for India, that the whole country will watch his son play," said Siraj, whose father died in November.

"How I wish he was here today with me, he would have been very happy. It is thanks to his blessings that I could take five wickets today. I am speechless, I am unable to speak about my performance."

Although most of the Australian batting order got starts, only Steve Smith converted and even he fell for 55 when surprised by a Thakur short ball.

Australia need to win to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but, with more rain forecast for Tuesday, India will fancy their chances of surviving for the draw.

The highest run-chase to achieve victory at the Gabba is the 236 that Australia scored to beat the West Indies in 1951.

But as India have shown since their disastrous capitulation in the first Test in Adelaide, when they were bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest.

They came back and won the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, and then batted for more than a day to draw Sydney's third Test.

Smith said off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who is playing his 100th Test and needs three more scalps to reach 400 Test wickets, could play a big role on Tuesday.

"There's a nice crack forming outside the right-handers' off stump that he'll be looking to aim at," Smith said.

"If he hits good areas consistently tomorrow there is certainly no reason why he can't create some chances on a day-five wicket, that's for sure." "The game's in a nice place for us -- the wicket is starting to play a few tricks," he added.

However, India will feel they can at least save the Test against an Australian attack that looked fatigued in the first innings.