India Faces Challenging Chase As Bad Light Interrupts Play In Third Test At The Gabba

Bad light forced an early tea break on day five of the third Test at the Gabba, with India reaching 8/0 in 2.1 overs in their chase of 275. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both unbeaten on four, faced 13 balls before the umpires took the players off the field. The tea break was called, setting the stage for a dramatic finish, as long as rain and thunderstorms do not disrupt play.

Australia’s Quick Decline In Second Innings

Australia, already secure a lead of 185 runs, declare their second innings at 89/7 in just 18 overs. The Australian batsmen adopted an aggressive approach, aiming to score quickly, but India’s pacers struck swiftly, dismissing the Australian side in rapid succession. Despite the quick wickets, Australia deemed a total of 274 runs sufficient to declare, thanks to valuable cameos from Travis Head, Alex Carey, and captain Pat Cummins.

Bumrah Shines With Record-Breaking Performance

Jasprit Bumrah took the spotlight with a brilliant performance, claiming three wickets in the second innings, bringing his match tally to nine. His wickets helped him set a new record for the most Test wickets by an Indian bowler in Australia, surpassing Kapil Dev’s record of 51 wickets. Bumrah claim his first breakthrough when he got Usman Khawaja caught behind with a delivery that move in sharply. He then dismissed Marnus Labuschagne, who edged a ball away from the body, caught by Rishabh Pant.

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Akash Deep And Siraj Provide Support

Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj also played key roles in the Indian bowling attack. He took two wickets, including the dismissal of Nathan McSweeney, who edged an outside-off delivery to Pant. Siraj also claim two wickets, including Steve Smith, who caught down the leg side by a diving Pant.

Pant’s Record-Equalling Catch Haul

Rishabh Pant starred behind the stumps, taking five catches in the innings, a remarkable feat. This performance equalled the record for the most catches in a Test innings by an Indian wicketkeeper, a record shared with MS Dhoni. Pant’s catches included a stunning effort to dismiss Head and a sharp catch to remove Carey.

Cummins Adds Flair Before Declaration

Pat Cummins, known for his aggressive batting, entertained the crowd with a quick-fire 22, hitting a four and six off Akash and Siraj. However, he eventually deceive by a slower ball from Bumrah, giving a simple catch to cover. Cummins then promptly called back the batters to declare the innings, setting India a challenging target of 275 for victory.

The Stage Is Set For A Thrilling Finish

With 275 runs to chase, India faces an uphill battle. The early tea break has set the stage for what promises to be an exciting finish, as both teams prepare for the final stages of the rain-affected Test match.

Brief Scores:

• Australia: 445 & 89/7 dec (Pat Cummins 22, Alex Carey 20; Jasprit Bumrah 3-18, Akash Deep 2-28)
• India: 260 (KL Rahul 84, Ravindra Jadeja 77; Pat Cummins 4-81, Mitchell Starc 3-83) and 8/0 in 2.1 overs (trail by 267 runs)