On the third day of the third Test match against Australia at the Gabba, rain caused most of Monday’s play to be lost, but Brisbane’s weather saved the day for India.
On a day when the Australians could only bowl 17 overs against the visitors and players had to leave the field seven times because of rain, a shattered India hobbled to 51-4 at stumps.
At the end of a rainy day, KL Rahul and captain Rohit Sharma were both on 33, but Sharma had not yet scored.
After bowling Australia out for 445 earlier in the first session, India lost three early wickets and needed 245 to avoid the follow-on.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s opening bowlers, dismissed Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Prior to tea, which was called early due to another downpour that kept the players off the field for more than two hours, they lost Rishabh Pant.
When they did return, the Australians threw the ball to part-timer Travis Head and off-spinner Nathan Lyon due to poor lighting.
However, umpires Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth deemed the light inadequate after just 2.5 overs and ended play.
Given that rain ruined the whole of the first day on Saturday, Head and Steve Smith’s hundreds on the second day made it impossible for India to win the Test.
With more rain expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, India has a better chance of escaping with a draw and taking the series to Melbourne with a 1-1 record.
After starting the third day at 405-7, Australia was eventually bowled out for 445, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey being the final man out following an impressive 70.
India’s initial goal was to increase their chances of surviving a draw by avoiding the follow-on.
However, their response took a disastrous turn when Jaiswal chipped the next ball straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg after edging Starc’s opening delivery for four runs into gully.
despite receiving care, Rahul, the other opener, was able to continue despite taking a hard blow to the wrist off a Hazlewood delivery that rose sharply from a good length.
Gill edged to gully in Starc’s subsequent over, and Marsh made a spectacular catch, leaping high to his left, to put India out of the game at 6-2.
After hitting at a full ball from Hazelwood that he should have left alone but instead managed to get a slight edge through to the wicketkeeper, Kohli was next to go and was caught behind by Carey.
To make matters worse, rain began to fall as Kohli was leaving, so an early lunch was called.
After lunch, Rahul and Pant attempted to salvage the situation as there were more rain delays. However, with the score at 44, Pant narrowly defeated Pat Cummins to Carey.
