India Prevents Follow-On Against Australia After Resilient Batting

In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s Third Test in Brisbane, on day four of five, Australia posted a score of 445 runs, with Head scoring 152, Smith 101, and Carey 70, while Bumrah took 6-76 wickets. India responded with 252-9, featuring Rahul’s 84 and Jadeja’s 77, and Cummins claiming 4-80 wickets. Australia holds a lead of 193 runs. India managed to prevent the follow-on against Australia, positioning the third Test in Brisbane for a likely draw. On a rain-affected fourth day, the visiting team found themselves at 213-9, requiring 33 additional runs to avoid the follow-on. However, the final wicket partnership of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep performed exceptionally, with a boundary via an upper cut by Deep securing their passage beyond the follow-on threshold. This achievement prompted celebrations among the batters and within the India changing room, with Virat Kohli observed exchanging high-fives with teammates and coaches. Subsequently, captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and Kohli initiated a standing ovation from the India balcony. Australia had created the prospect of a follow-on by taking three wickets for 19 runs; however, the impact of seamer Josh Hazlewood’s absence, due to a calf injury that may sideline him for the remainder of the series, became apparent as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc showed signs of fatigue. KL Rahul contributed 84 runs, having been dropped by Steve Smith on the day’s first delivery, while Ravindra Jadeja scored 77. The five-match series stands at 1-1, following Australia’s 10-wicket victory in Adelaide the previous week. To secure a spot in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June, India needs to win a minimum of two of the last three Tests. Defending champions Australia can qualify for the final by winning two of their remaining Tests, with an additional series against Sri Lanka also available for qualification purposes. Steve Smith took a stunning catch after his first-ball drop. Rain has significantly influenced this match, once again affecting large portions of day four. An hour of play was lost in the morning, and the extended afternoon session experienced both a delay and two interruptions. This resulted in lost playing time for the hosts, yet it also enabled Cummins and Starc to maintain relative freshness and return for bowling spells in each session. Cummins, notably, delivered a superb and aggressive performance, with India finding it difficult to counter his astute variations in length. The visiting team appeared stable after Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jadeja had formed a 53-run partnership for the seventh wicket, but Cummins dismissed Reddy via a drag-on, creating an opening. Siraj’s wicket followed shortly, and Jadeja, attempting to accelerate the scoring, was caught at square leg, making the follow-on a distinct possibility. Whether Australia would have enforced the follow-on, considering Hazlewood’s injury, remains uncertain. However, given the already lost playing time and the forecast for potential further rain on Wednesday, it appears highly probable they would have. Nevertheless, this option was nullified by the outstanding performance of Bumrah (10 not out) and especially Deep (27 not out). Despite Australia setting aggressive fields, the duo managed to score singles with relative ease, until Deep’s audacious play propelled them past the necessary target. Following the release of pressure, Deep then struck Cummins into the second tier over mid-wicket, prior to the umpires’ decision that the light conditions were insufficient for further play. The unbroken 39-run partnership has likely preserved the match for India, and they will be hoping that, despite being thoroughly outplayed in both this match and the second Test, the momentum will now shift in their direction.