Brisbane: An exciting final day of the third Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) was interrupted by bad light after Australia set a target of 275 runs for India on Wednesday.
Due to weather conditions, Tea was taken early, leaving India at 8/0, still needing 267 runs for victory, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal both not out on 4 runs each from 7 and 6 balls, respectively.
Jaiswal and Rahul appeared to be in good form, successfully countering the pace attack from Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. The opening duo managed to find a few well-timed shots, keeping the scoreboard ticking.
India began their innings after Australian captain Cummins made a surprising decision to declare at 89/7, establishing a lead of 274 runs. This bold move indicated Australia's determination to pursue a win, even with a reduced pace attack.
Australia aimed to score quickly, with Usman Khawaja hitting a couple of boundaries to signal their aggressive intent. This approach, however, came with inherent risks that the Australian batsmen were willing to embrace.
In the first 18 overs, Australia lost seven wickets while accumulating just 89 runs. The initial 10 overs saw a scarcity of runs as captain Rohit Sharma effectively rotated his bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj bowled in tandem until Siraj was replaced by Akash Deep. This change proved effective, as Bumrah and Akash made significant breakthroughs, reducing Australia to 28/4.
Alex Carey (20*), Travis Head (17), and Cummins (22) maintained their aggressive strategy, attempting to score boundaries. Despite the fall of wickets, the runs continued to accumulate on the scoreboard.
Australia posted a total of 89/7, a score that Cummins and the management believed would be sufficient to secure a favorable outcome.
Earlier, India was bowled out for 260 after the dismissal of Akash Deep, and Australia was set to begin their innings, but rain intervened.
Fans eagerly anticipated the arrival of the opening pair, Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney, at the crease, but that moment never materialized.
The delay began as inclement weather prevented the match from resuming, and conditions deteriorated further with rain at The Gabba, restricting play to just 24 balls.
Prior to the weather disruption, Akash and Jasprit Bumrah were steadily accumulating runs, adding to the challenges faced by the Australian bowlers.
The Australian bowling attack needed to remain patient in their quest for a breakthrough. Nathan Lyon attempted to apply pressure from one end, while Travis Head sought to target the lower order from the other.
Head, who had previously dazzled with a rapid 152 runs, ultimately achieved the breakthrough. He lured Akash forward with a slider, and Alex Carey swiftly removed the bails. The replay confirmed that Akash's foot was on the line when Carey dislodged the bails.
Akash's impressive innings concluded as he departed with a score of 31 off 44 balls. Following the rain delay, Jasprit Bumrah and the rest of the bowling unit returned to the field to warm up.
Brief Score: Australia 455 & 89/7 d (Pat Cummins 22, Alex Carey 20*; Jasprit Bumrah 3-18) vs India 260 & 8/0 (KL Rahul 4*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 4*).
