Australia’s Quick Bowlers Rattle India on Intermittent Day in Brisbane

India need 195 more runs to avoid the follow-on with six wickets in hand, after a frustratingly disrupted day of cricket. Only 33.1 overs were possible on what could be the most stop-start day in Test history, with a record eight rain delays throughout the day. Despite these interruptions, Australia kept their hopes of going 2-1 up alive, taking advantage of the conditions. On day three’s morning session, they extended their first-innings total to 445 before Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins dismantled India’s top order, reducing them to 51 for 4 by stumps.

With India 394 runs behind, their first goal upon resumption will be to reach 246 to avoid the follow-on. If they succeed, their chances of leveling the series before heading to Melbourne will improve significantly. However, rain is expected to continue on days four and five, which may force Australia to battle against the clock if they are required to bat again.

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Australia’s last three wickets added 40 runs to their overnight total of 405 for 7, amid several rain delays. Jasprit Bumrah removed Pat Cummins to claim his sixth wicket of the innings, marking his 50th Test wicket in Australia. Alex Carey, who had played a vital role in maintaining Australia’s advantage with a quick-fire 45 on day two, reached a well-made half-century. He played some elegant strokes, including a effortless six over wide long-off off Akash Deep, before being dismissed for 70.

Carey’s wicket came off Akash Deep, who claimed his first wicket of the innings after inducing 53 false shots. The innings came to a close with Australia’s total at 445, leaving India with a challenging task ahead to stave off the follow-on and stay in the game.

Australia’s Fast Bowlers Dominate Gabba’s Conditions as India Struggles Early

Australia’s fast bowlers quickly demonstrated the advantages of the Gabba surface, extracting much more from it than India’s quicks had been able to. With the home advantage and the height of all three key bowlers – Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins, all measuring over 6’5″ – they generated consistent seam movement, particularly when hitting the pitch on a length or the back of it. On occasion, they also found awkward bounce, with Hazlewood striking KL Rahul’s wrist with his first delivery.

India was already a wicket down by the time Australia’s pace attack took charge. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early, flicking Starc’s second ball of the match straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg. Starc struck again in his second over, getting Shubman Gill to drive loosely at a full delivery outside off stump, with the ball flying quickly to Marsh in gully. The fielder once again made an exceptional diving catch to his left, claiming his second scalp of the innings.

Despite the movement off the pitch, both of India’s early dismissals came from avoidable shots. Virat Kohli, who had just survived a lifter from Starc that threatened his head, drove loosely at a wide delivery from Hazlewood and edged behind, falling early once again in a series marked by uncertainty outside off stump. Rain interrupted the play immediately after Kohli’s dismissal, bringing lunch forward and later causing another delay after just 11 balls. While these interruptions slowed Australia’s progress, they also kept their bowlers fresh and forced India’s batsmen to continuously reset.

Amid these disruptions, Australia’s bowlers maintained the pressure, and Cummins made the breakthrough, getting Rishabh Pant out with a delivery that slanted across him. Aiming to play down the ground, Pant instead pushed uncertainly at the ball, which swung away before finding his edge through to Carey. Rahul, however, continued to bat with composure, showing excellent judgment in the fourth-stump channel and executing well-timed drives. By stumps, he had reached 33 off 64 balls, with captain Rohit Sharma still to get off the mark.