3rd Test
Day-3 Evening Session Highlights:
Australia has remained in a commanding position despite another rain-impacted day
At The Stumps of Day-3:
India scored 51/4 (1st Innings), where as Australia scored 445 (1st Innings).
So, finally India trail by 394 runs.
After a heavily truncated third day’s play in Brisbane, which saw just 33.1 overs of stop-start action, India’s hopes of winning were almost entirely dashed.
With only two days remaining in the match and more rain expected, Australia remained in a strong position to push for a 2-1 series lead.
Their fast bowlers, led by Mitchell Starc, reduced India to 51 for 4 in 17 overs after Australia posted 445 in their first innings.
India’s batters struggled to find rhythm, having to restart and reapply themselves after multiple rain breaks on a surface that Australia’s taller bowlers were able to exploit.
Some of the visitors’ shot selections added to their woes, reflecting their recent struggles in the format.
Yashasvi Jaiswal fell to the second ball of the innings when he clipped a full delivery from Starc straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg.
The same combination also dismissed Shubman Gill, who drove at a full and wide delivery without properly transferring his weight.
Virat Kohli, tasked with stabilizing the innings, was troubled by deliveries in the channel and a short ball before driving loosely at a Josh Hazlewood delivery to be dismissed for just 3.
Shortly after Kohli’s dismissal, another downpour led to an early lunch interval.
Rain returned 11 balls into the second session and again after 3.5 overs.
Following yet another restart, India lost Rishabh Pant, who poked at a length delivery from Pat Cummins.
Torrential rain then caused a lengthy delay, which stretched nearly two and a half hours, encompassing the scheduled Tea break.
When play resumed, the players faced a couple of overs of spin under fading light before another drizzle forced them off the field for good.
In the midst of the rain breaks and batting struggles, KL Rahul played a composed innings, reaching an unbeaten 33, including some elegant cover drives despite taking a painful blow to his left wrist early on.
Most of the day’s action occurred during the extended first session when Australia added 40 runs to their overnight total of 405 in just over an hour before India took the final three wickets.
After a five-minute rain delay, Alex Carey completed a 53-ball half-century with a well-timed boundary off Ravindra Jadeja.
Starc contributed with a six and a four before nicking off against Jasprit Bumrah, giving Bumrah his sixth wicket of the innings.
This also marked Bumrah’s 50th Test wicket in Australia, a milestone previously achieved only by Kapil Dev for India.
The following 10 overs, either side of a 14-minute rain delay, saw only 22 runs added as Australia adopted a patient approach, aiming for a bat-once total.
India spread their field to manage Bumrah’s workload, taking him off after a brief three-over spell.
Eventually, Mohammed Siraj breached Nathan Lyon’s defences, and Akash Deep had Carey caught at deep mid-wicket for 70, claiming his only wicket after 29.5 overs of hard work.
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