Rain rescues struggling India, halts Australia’s charge at Gabba in third Test

Brisbane’s weather came to India’s rescue as most of Monday’s play was lost because of rain on the third day of the third Test against Australia at the Gabba.

A rattled India limped to 51-4 at stumps on a day when the Australians were only able to bowl 17 overs at the visitors and players left the field seven times due to downpours.

KL Rahul was on 33 at the end of a wet day along with skipper Rohit Sharma, who was yet to score.

Needing 245 to avoid the follow-on, India lost three early wickets in the first session, after earlier bowling Australia out for 445.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli all fell to Australia’s opening bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

They then lost Rishabh Pant just before tea, which was called early because of another downpour that then kept the players off the field for over two hours.

When they did return, bad light saw the Australians throw the ball to off-spinner Nathan Lyon and part-timer Travis Head.

But after only 2.5 overs, umpires Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth decided that the light was not good enough and called an end to play.

With most of the first day also lost to rain Saturday, Head and Steve Smith’s second-day centuries ensured that India cannot realistically win the Test.

More rain is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, raising India’s hopes of salvaging a draw and heading to Melbourne with the series locked at 1-1.

Australia resumed the third day on 405-7 and were eventually bowled out for 445, wicketkeeper Alex Carey the last man out after an enterprising 70.

India’s first target was to avoid the follow-on and so raise their chances of holding out for a draw.

But their reply got off to a terrible start when Jaiswal, who edged Starc’s first ball for four runs through gully, chipped the next ball straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg.

Fellow opener Rahul got a nasty hit on the wrist from a Hazlewood ball that rose sharply off a good length, but after treatment he was able to continue.

In Starc’s next over, Gill edged to gully and Marsh took a brilliant catch, diving high to his left to leave India in tatters at 6-2.

Kohli was next to go, caught behind by Carey after playing at a full ball from Hazelwood that he could have left alone but instead got a faint edge through to the wicketkeeper.

To add insult to injury, as Kohli was walking off the rain started falling and early lunch was called.

There were more rain delays after lunch as Rahul and Pant tried to rescue the situation, but with the score on 44, Pant got a thin edge off Pat Cummins to Carey.

Delete that cover drive, advises Gavaskar to struggling Kohli: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has urged Kohli to draw inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic innings in Sydney in 2004 to overcome his recent struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump.

Kohli latest dismissal for just 3 runs in the first innings of the third Test at the Gabba underscored his vulnerability against the Australian pacers’ disciplined lines.

Speaking to broadcasters after Kohli’s soft dismissal, Gavaskar emphasised the importance of adapting and showing mental discipline, drawing a parallel with Tendulkar’s historic unbeaten 241 in Sydney during the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“Yes, I think practice is different, but what happens in the middle is different. The mindset is completely different. What happens in practice is, you know, if you play a bad shot, you can get away with it. But in the match, if you are out, you are out,” Gavaskar said.

Agencies