Here’s Geoff report from the Gabba.
Here’s the latest on Josh Hazlewood’s series-ending injury. Stay tuned for Geoff Lemon’s day four report, dropping soon.
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STUMPS: India (252-9) avoid follow-on but trail by 193 runs
What a weird day of cricket, with action every bit as tempestuous as the Brisbane weather.
Despite frequent rain delays, Australia kept the hope of victory alive… right up until the final over of this fourth day. Instead, as stumps were drawn in the 75th over, it was Indian fans cheering as a 10th wicket partnership of 39 between Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep steered India home, avoiding the follow-on and likely saving the match.
Perhaps the first ball of the day was a portent for Australia. Pat Cummins delivered a peach of a delivery which drew a huge edge from KL Rahul… which Steve Smith DROPPED. It was an absolute dolly of a catch and Smith would’ve swallowed it 99% of the time. But not today. Rahul piled on another 50 runs before Smith redeemed himself by taking a screamer to dismiss him for 84.
But those runs would prove valuable for India. Despite losing Rishabh Pant for 9 and captain Rohit Sharma for 10, recalled allrounder Ravi Jadeja held the innings together with a fine 77 from 123 deliveries. It took India from 54-5 to 141-6 and a brave 16 from rookie Nitish Kumar Reddy scraped them to 194-7 and gave them hope.
Australia were badly wounded by Josh Hazlewood’s early exit with a calf strain – an injury that has ruled him out of the series – but Starc and Cummins battled gamely to carry his load, bowling 20+ overs in searing humidity and taking 3-83 and 4-80 respectively. But the wickets that mattered most were the final two and Australia couldn’t get them. From 213-9 India’s tail wagged to 252 – and safety.
Tomorrow will be fascinating but, with more rain predicted, the Border-Gavaskar series looks likely to go to Melbourne locked up, giving cricket’s fiercest rivalry the ultimate stage: a Boxing Day Test, a sold-out 100,000+ crowd, a local hero in Scott Boland returned to the XI and a deadlocked series set to detonate.
That’s stumps for us too. Thanks for your company and join us tomorrow for more riveting action. Over… and OUT!
75th over: India 252-9 (Bumrah 10, Akash 27) Umpires are consulting their light meters but Cummins will get a 21st over. Can he finish this India innings? He jags one back at Akash but the No 11 keeps it out. And now he flashes for FOUR. An educated edge through the empty slips cordon has India safely past their target and the dressing room rises to salute this courageous rearguard action which is now worth 33. And Akash celebrates with a titanic SIX! What a shot… and what a way to finish the day as umpires call stumps due to poor light.
74th over: India 242-9 (Bumrah 10, Akash 17) As Lyon enters his 21st over, Australia need one wicket, India need five runs. Akash drives and gets a run, equalling his highest Test score of 17. Bumrah defends five probing deliveries as the Brisbane sunlight fades.
73rd over: India 241-9 (Bumrah 10, Akash 16) Cummins replaces Starc at the Vulture Street end. Both men have bowled themselves into the ground today in the absence of an injured Josh Hazlewood and a hampered Mitchell Marsh. Akash drops and runs the first delivery and Australia’s captain has to run 20-metres to retrieve the ball at mid-off. He comes around the wicket to Bumrah but again India steal a single. This Bumrah-Akash partnership has now reached 23 and could be a match-saver for India. Akash middles another one and runs two. Brave batting! Australia are starting to look a little ragged. Especially when Akash plays the same shot for the same result. Two more on the total and India are within six runs of avoiding the follow-on. A bizarre over ends with an Akash inside edge which narrowly misses the stumps… and another run.
72nd over: India 234-9 (Bumrah 9, Akash 10) Bumrah drives Lyon for an easy single. And Akash plays the same shot for the same result. Neither of these bowlers has great credentials with the bat – Akash has a highest score of 17 from his six Tests while Bumrah has a top of 34 not out from 64 innings – but they are doing well here.
71st over: India 232-9 (Bumrah 8, Akash 9) Lyon was limbering up but Starc has been given one more over. He oversteps and, worse, Akash clomps him into the deep for two runs. Starc looks very weary but he bends his back and finds Akash’s edge. It falls short of Smith at slip though. Now a mixup as Akash drives and runs but Bumrah sends him back. India need runs but neither batter wants strike! After five dots, Akash flashes at the final ball and it beats the fielder and runs away for FOUR. India now only need 14!
70th over: India 225-9 (Bumrah 8, Akash 3) Cummins is hunting a 14th five-for from his 65th Test. He has Akash on strike who plays and misses as tail-enders are wont to do. Akash gets plenty on the timber on the next one though and scampers a single. Bumrah drops and runs as India inch a couple of runs closer to their target. Nathan Lyon seems to be warming up. That could present an opportunity for the batters to swing high and hard. Akash clips one down legside to getsIndia within 21 runs of ducking the follow-on.
69th over: India 222-9 (Bumrah 7, Akash 1) Starc returns seeking this final Indian wicket. It would be his fourth of this innings and the 373rd of his 91-Test career. It has been a titanic effort from the big man but Akash works the tired quick for a single. Bumrah keeps out a 139kph attempted yorker – just. A massive bouncer flies way over Bumrah’s flashing blade and Carey yelps at how close that came to catching the edge.
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68th over: India 221-9 (Bumrah 7, Akash 0) Hooked for SIX! Great shot Jasprit Bumrah, who would dearly love to smash 25 runs to make Australia bat in the Brisbane twilight. Cummins responds with a bouncer and Bumrah swings big again but doesn’t connect. Australia’s skipper tries a new tactic, coming around the wicket. Five dots ensue.
67th over: India 215-9 (Bumrah 1, Akash 0) Even with Josh Hazlewood unable to bowl and sidelined for the series, Australia want this follow-on. Starc greets Bumrah with a wide and the batter takes one of his own from the second ball, helping it to fine leg. Starc is into his 22nd over and has 3-75, shaded only by his skipper who has 4-54 from 17 overs. Starc finishes with four dots as India chase 31 to avoid the follow-on.
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WICKET! Jadeja c Marsh b Cummins 77 (India 213-9)
Cummins bounces Jadeja who swings hard and skies it… and Marsh thunders in from the rope and dives forward to take a great catch. The Bison has bagged another one! That was rash from Jadeja who didn’t want to expose Bumrah to a Lyon over but didn’t need to take such a big risk against such a master bowler.
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66th over: India 209-7 (Jadeja 77, Bumrah 0) Cummins cometh for a 17th over. And he squares up Jadeja and catches the edge… but it flies over slips and runs for FOUR. Now he drives magnificently to long-off but doesn’t risk the run. Cummins angles another one in at the ribs and Jadeja is bamboozled but keeps it out. In comes the field for the final two deliveries. Batters confer. Does Jadeja chance a boundary or tap a single? It’s short and wide but his flick over first slip doesn’t connect. What’s Cummins’ final card?
65th over: India 209-7 (Jadeja 73, Bumrah 0) This strange Test is at as curious crossroads. So too Ravi Jadeja, a natural swordsman with a penchant for big hitting. Does he a) play his natural game and go down blazing, or b) stay calm and slowly steer India past the follow-on with 44 runs? Happily, he opts for the former! He steps down and slots Lyon for SIX. Great shot! And now a single to retain strike. Smart batting!
64th over: India 202-7 (Jadeja 66, Bumrah 0) Jasprit Bumrah, destroyer with the ball, is now India’s defender with the bat. For now Jadeja has the strike to Cummins who slides two past the bat before bouncing one past his eyebrows. What’s next? Runs! Jadeja drives to mid-off for a single. What has Cummins got for Bumrah, a master bowler with 185 Test wickets but only 300 Test runs from his 43 Tests at an average of 6.97? Two dots.
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WICKET! Siraj c Carey b Starc 1 (India 201-8)
Starc strikes! He built his speed steadily in that over and Siraj, slightly shellshocked, poked a bat out at the final ball and got a healthy edge through to Carey who flew a long way to his right and took a good catch in the webbing of his right glove.
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64th over: India 201-7 (Jadeja 65, Siraj 1) Good work by the umpires to resume a few minutes earlier and make up for all the time lost to rain. Five dot balls but Starc’s speed is rising with each one…
And we’re back!
63rd over: India 201-7 (Jadeja 65, Siraj 1) BIG NEWS BREAKING: Josh Hazlewood has sustained a right side calf strain and will likely play no further part in the Border-Gavaskar series. In more good news for India, they have a first-innings score of 200+ for the first time this series. And in a further blow to Australia, it’s raining again and players are leaving the field. It will be a very despondent Australian dressing room, I’d imagine.
That will be tea, folks. Back shortly (we hope).
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62nd over: India 201-7 (Jadeja 65, Siraj 1) Almost a run out! Jadeja had tried to whip Cummins square on the first ball but refused the run for fear of exposing Siraj. But he thought twice next ball and doubled down by chasing two. The throw from midwicket was fast and Labuschagne whipped off the stumps as Sirjaj dived at the bowler’s end. CLOSE! The bat’s toe is in the air but the shoulder may be grounded… and he’s safe! Only a Tally-Ho in it through. Cummins has the eye of the tiger now and beats Jadeja’s bat again next ball. Jadeja tries to fight fire with fire and slashes wildly for three. Siraj takes another risky single to get off his duck and another run out chance goes begging as Cummins’ throw goes wide. A bouncer is met with a beligerent swipe to finish an eventful over.
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61st over: India 195-7 (Jadeja 60, Siraj 0) Fantastic cricket by Australia. They starved Jadeja of strike and honed in on the youngster Reddy. Starc and Lyon built pressure before Cummins brought himself on and got the prize with good captaincy and great bowling. India now trail by 250 and still need 51 to avoid the follow-on. Mohammed Siraj is the new batter and the pantomime villain of this series will be under huge pressure as Australia go for the jugular here.
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WICKET! Reddy b Cummins 16 (India 194-7)
Cummins strikes! What a great captain’s wicket that was. A classic three card trick. He beat Reddy on the first, induced a rash shot on the second and swept one through faster and straighter on the next. It beat eye, bat and pad and Reddy flinched, fending at it but succeeding only in getting an inside edge onto the stumps.
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60th over: India 192-6 (Jadeja 59, Reddy 16) Here comes Pat Cummins and Reddy is beaten by the first and flashes at the second. The ball runs quickly away and Lyon does well to cut it off on the ropoe and keep it to two runs. A stern examination coming for Reddy from the Australian skipper here. Australia need something. Can Postman Pat deliver?
59th over: India 192-6 (Jadeja 59, Reddy 14) Lyon has Reddy pinned. The youngster has 41 and 38* in Perth, 42 and 42 in Adelaide and a wicket in each Test into the bargain– a fantastic start to his career. He sneaks a single from the last.
58th over: India 191-6 (Jadeja 59, Reddy 13) Reddy fans a single first ball – an important one given Starc’s attack on him these past overs. Jadeja digs out a yorker before defending one square. He pinches a single and thinks about another but Josh Inglis, in the field for Hazlewood, pounces on it. A flurry of activity now as Starc goes up for an LBW, thinking it’s hit toe first. Meanwhile Reddy connects with bat and takes off for a run. Starc is muttering but Cummins can’t be convinced to review it.
57th over: India 188-6 (Jadeja 58, Reddy 11) That Starc maiden has smothered India and now Lyon sniffs an opportunity on leg stump against Reddy. Australia’s close in fielders are starting to chirp, sensing the moment. Reddy drives the final ball to long on for a single which puts him on strike to Starc next over. Could that be part of the plan?
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56th over: India 186-6 (Jadeja 57, Reddy 10) Starc has his speed up to 140kph as India seek 60 to dodge the follow-on. Reddy doesn’t like it. He sets off for a single but is sent back by Jadeja as Labuschagne lunges and backhands a throw at the stumps. Starc rips a bouncer at almost 142kph which Reddy evades. He wants another single from the next but Marnus is quickly onto it again to make it a maiden.
55th over: India 186-6 (Jadeja 57, Reddy 10) As Lyon wheels in again, the Jadeja-Reddy partnership has reached 43 from 71 balls. More spin and bounce evident for Australia’s premier offie now and Jadeja sweeps to nullify both. A single to midwicket and Reddy drives another to long-on.
54th over: India 184-6 (Jadeja 56, Reddy 9) Starc to Jadeja and the first ball is wide and whacked square for a single. Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 21-year-old from Visakhapatnam, debuted in this series after hot form in the IPL. He’s done well for his nine runs so far today, calm and resolute with a nice arsenal of shots. He steps down and drives handsomely but straight to Labuschagne. Starc’s riposte is a bouncer which the youngster easily evades.
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53rd over: India 183-6 (Jadeja 54, Reddy 9) After Starc completes the solitary delivery remaining from his over, Nathan Lyon gets things under way by wafting one outside off stump for Jadeja to swat away for two runs backward of point. Bit of spin there for the GOAT. Can he summon it again and gobble up this wagging India tail? We still have spitting rain coming down at the Gabba.
Players are taking the field and India are resuming at 180-6, a massive 265 runs behind Australia’s total and still need 66 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Josh Hazlewood has been spotted in the Australian dugout glumly doing a crossword. Doesn’t look like he’ll be bowling this arvo.
Happy days! The covers are coming off and we are set to restart at 3.30pm. Tea will now be taken at 5.30pm AEST with a minimum 38.1 overs to be bowled today.
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Ravi Jadeja, possibly the world’s greatest allrounder, was left out of India’s Test side for the first two matches of this Border-Gavaskar series. Recalled for this Gabba Test, the lavishly-tattooed 36-year-old has shown selectors what they’ve been missing with a fighting half-century from 82 balls in this innings. He brought up the milestone with typical flair just before this latest rain break.
Jadeja brings out his trademark sword celebration with a fine 50 at the Gabba. #AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/IFOfqltJdA
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2024
Things are looking up at the Gabba. Rain is easing and we have blue skies…
Cricket is the No 1 sport in India by a country mile but the country has a new hero in the form of newly-crowned world chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju. The 18-year-old this week became the youngest champion in the sport’s history, defeating China’s Ding Liren in the final game of their FIDE World Championship match in Singapore.
The “Tendulkar of Chess” met with an incredible reception at Chennai airport.
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Good news from the Gabba: blue sky is breaking through.
Bad news from the Gabba: it’s still raining pretty hard.
Speaking of part-timers… here’s one of the all-time bowling performances from one of the all-time great batters: Allan Border’s 11-for at the SCG against West Indies in 1988/89 with what AB used to call, in typically humble style, his “left-arm nothings”.
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Rain continues to fall at the Gabba but in Sydney it’s been scorching weather – and cricket. The Harbour City played host to a thriller in the opening round of the Big Bash (BBL|14) where the Sydney Sixers took on the Melbourne Renegades at the SCG.
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With Josh Hazlewood injured and Mitchell Marsh still not 100%, captain Pat Cummins may look to his part-timers in order to give his frontline attack a breather.
Here are his options – who would you go to first?
Marnus Labuschagne – 13 Test wickets at 61.55 (Best 3-45)
Travis Head – 12 Test wickets at 34.58 (Best 4-10)
Steve Smith – 19 Test wickets at 53.05 (Best 3-18)
The covers are back on at the Gabba. A passing shower or hard rain? I’m calling the experts to find out…
52nd over: India 180-6 (Jadeja 52, Reddy 9) Starc sparks his 17th over with a lovely delivery angling into Jadeja. That worried the Indian allrounder and he’s keen to escape strike, albeit slow out of the blocks. Labuschagne swoops on the ball like a gull on a chip and shies at the non-striker’s end – just wide!
Oh no, here comes the rain again.
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51st over: India 178-6 (Jadeja 51, Reddy 8) Nathan Lyon hasn’t bowled much in this series but, with Australia one-bowler down, he’ll be kept busy today. The old man from Young enters his 13th over of this Test with 1-33 and gets worked for easy drop ‘n’ run singles by both batters.
50th over: India 176-6 (Jadeja 50, Reddy 7) BANG! Ravi Jadeja must’ve enjoyed his lunch. He steps out and punches Starc’s first delivery of the session for FOUR down the ground. He salts the wound on ball four by turning one off his hip for another boundary. Starc almost appealed for LBW, instead he scowls all the way back to his mark. A sneaky single brings up Jadeja’s fifty and we get his trademark swirling sword celebration. Well played, Ravindra! His last five scores in Tests in Australia: 50*, 28*, 57, 81, 5.
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The clouds have parted and Pat Cummins is leading his men back onto the field along with India’s undfeated batters Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (7).
Mitchell Starc is at the top of his mark… and away we go!
With Josh Hazlewood at the hospital having scans on his calf injury, my contacts in the medical fraternity tell me calf tweaks come in three forms with radically different recovery times: Myofascial (10-21 days), Musculotendinous (4-8 weeks) or Tendinous injury (2-4 months).
Don’t strain yours running back to the telly. Umpires have given this Gabba greentop the green light and play will be under way soon!
As umpires take the field for that pitch inspection, debate continues to rage on whether NSW’s 19-year-old bat outta hell Sam Konstas should come into this Australian Test side in place of struggling openers Nathan McSweeney or Usman Khawaja.
Based on his innings for the Prime Minister’s XI against India a couple of weeks back, the answer isn’t so much ‘if’ as ‘when’…
Good news: the rain appears to have eased a little in Brisbane and we’ll have an official umpire inspection of the Gabba pitch in the next five minutes.
Does anyone remember the “Super Sopper” – saviour of wet cricket pitches in days of yore?
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Kerry O’Keeffe reckons the risk Australia took on Josh Hazlewood was calculated.
“To look at the Australian strategy, I think they had in mind that Hazlewood should play this and miss Melbourne,” the 24-Test former tweaker has told Fox Sports. “Melbourne is by a long way his worst pitch in Australia and then Starc miss Sydney, which is a long way his worst pitch in Australia.
“So I think they factored in that Australia was going to play this one and that Boland, who loves the MCG would come in for Melbourne. And that may well be the case now anyway. The Boland numbers are irresistible.
“But questions will be asked, was he (Hazlewood) fit going into this game?”
It’s a good question, Skull. Australia has 14 wickets to take and one less quick to do it. Would Boland, fully fit and fresh from five wickets in the last Test, been a better bet?
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An update of sorts on Josh Hazlewood who left the field earlier today after bowling a solitary over.
We’ve just seen vision of The Hoff being taken to hospital for scans on a calf injury. It looked like a presidential motorcade – all tinted windows and flashing cameras – but so far all Australia’s medical staff have told us is that The Bendemeer Bullet detected “calf awareness” in the warm up but took the field anyway for what amounted to live Test fitness assessment.
The bad news is that Hazlewood, who turns 34 in a fortnight, failed that test and is now in doubt for the fourth match in this series. The good news is that Scott Boland is suddenly back in the frame for a home Test return to the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day, scene of his spectacular debut against England in 2021…
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G’day cricket fans, Angus Fontaine here picking up the cudgels from Martin Pegan for the second half of today’s action.
Sorry to be start on a bum note but duty compels me to bear bad news from the get-go: it is raining at the Gabba. The light showers that began a few minutes back are now a much heavier downpour necessitating the heavy covers from the Gabba ground staff.
It means our 2.27pm AEST restart time is no more. Stay tuned for updates…
We’re only about halfway through the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series with everything still to play for, but play has wrapped up early across the Tasman with New Zealand finishing their year with the consolation of a thumping victory over England. The outstanding performance in Tim Southee’s final red-ball international came too late to prevent a 2-1 series loss to England that has dealt a heavy blow to New Zealand’s hope of qualifying for the World Test Championship final.
Ali Martin was at Seddon Park in Hamilton to cover the game and the series.
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Australia started the session brightly with a gilt-edge first-ball chance off KL Rahul and the early wicket of Rohit Sharma coming soon after, while the players spent less time than feared off the field due to a rain delay. But India arguably had the better of the morning and will be pleased to have only lost two wickets while chipping away at Australia’s first innings lead. The tourists put on 126 runs across the session as Rahul made the most of his second-life to reach 84, and India now need 79 more with four wickets in hand to avoid the follow-on.
Australia might be reluctant to enforce the follow-on even if they race through the rest of the India lineup after lunch with their bowling stocks reduced by Josh Hazlewood heading off for a scan on a calf issue. Play will resume at 1.27pm local time in Brisbane / 2.27pm AEDT.
In the meantime, let’s return to Steve Smith’s catch to remove India’s most impressive batter on the day in KL Rahul.
WHAT A CATCH FROM STEVE SMITH!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2024
Sweet redemption after dropping KL Rahul on the first ball of the day.#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/d7hHxvAsMd
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49th over: India 167-6 (Jadeja 41, Reddy 7) Review! The in-close Australia fielders and keeper Alex Carey think they have heard a noise as Reddy plays around the corner but can’t get bat near the ball. Cummins is quick to send the decision upstairs but replays show the ball passed narrowly wide of the glove. Not sure where the noise came from.
The India support staff had earlier looked to run onto the field of play for an impromptu drinks break but were quickly sent back by the umpires. Would love to see more of that! And there was surely no excuse for a drink with time for only one more over before lunch anyway, as it proved.
48th over: India 165-6 (Jadeja 41, Reddy 5) Cummins toils away at a good length to Jadeja until the all-round whips off his pads towards the boundary. Lyon races around the rope to collect while diving forward and limit India to two runs. Jadeja does much the same from next delivery but picks out Lyon at deep backward square for a couple more.
47th over: India 161-6 (Jadeja 37, Reddy 5) Jadeja cuts for an easy single at deep point then Lyon has Reddy playing unusually watchfully with lunch now within sight.
Kev in Brisbane isn’t too keen to see his fellow Queenslander being thrown the ball even for a sneaky over before the next break.
“I’d rather see Alex Carey roll the arm over. With the pads on, he’d still be better than whatever you call what Marnus does!”
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46th over: India 160-6 (Jadeja 36, Reddy 5) Cummins beats Reddy with a fuller ball that moves away off the seam and is just wide of taking an edge. We haven’t seen that for a while from the Australia skipper. Jadeja scampers through for a quick single after bunting the ball to short mid-off. Cummins picks up and throws while falling away but is narrowly wide of the stumps. That’s a nice little reminder that the Australians are in the game even on the brink of a long session.
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45th over: India 158-6 (Jadeja 35, Reddy 4) Jadeja sweeps Lyon through the gap at square leg for four then ends the over with two more from a shorter ball sent through cover.
Byron from Perth has some firm views and a bit of creative thinking around whether Cummins should turn to Labuschagne with his bowling options reduced by Hazlewood’s injury concern.
“I hope Cummins never gives Marnus another over. His bowling at Optus was atrocious. S**t doesn’t always get wickets. Haven’t seen Smudge [Steve Smith] bowl for a while and he’s up and about this Test. Could be the move, something different and unexpected. A throwback even.”
44th over: India 152-6 (Jadeja 29, Reddy 4) Jadeja clips a fuller ball to the vacant square leg as Cummins drifts onto the pads a couple of times. Cummins digs in a bouncer as Reddy comfortably ducks and Carey dives to his left but can’t prevent the four byes.
43rd over: India 145-6 (Jadeja 26, Reddy 4) Australia get the breakthrough they needed before lunch and it takes a classic catch from Smith at first slip to clinch it. Lyon had hardly troubled Rahul but he extracts more bounce than the India opener perhaps expected. Nitish Kumar Reddy is the next batter at the crease and shows his intentions with a drive for four from his second ball faced.
Wicket! Rahul c Smith b Lyon 84 (India 141-6)
Redemption for Steve Smith after he spilled a sitter off KL Rahul at second slip from the first ball of the day. This time he pulls in a cracking one-hander from first slip as Rahul cuts hard. The ball was behind Smith by the time he got his right hand to the ball but it sticks and India lose a key wicket.
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42nd over: India 141-5 (Rahul 84, Jadeja 26) Cummins returns in place of Starc as the Australia skipper keeps swinging the bowling changes. He once again chips away outside off, with Rahul’s pull to backward point the one run from the over.
Lyon hasn’t been able to find much out of this pitch yet despite cracks appearing amid the grassy green signs of life. With Hazlewood sidelined and sent off for scans on a calf concern, it wouldn’t surprise to see Marnus Labuschagne warming up and reminding his skipper that he himself enjoys a trundle.
But would we prefer to see Labuschagne bowling spin or seamers at this stage, or even at all? Let us know with an email or @martinpegan on Bluesky or X.
41st over: India 140-5 (Rahul 83, Jadeja 26) Jadeja slices away at a shorter ball from Lyon that races through backward point as McSweeney gives chase and dives to save one run. A reverse sweep from Rahul picks up one more.
40th over: India 136-5 (Rahul 82, Jadeja 23) Another half-life for Rahul as Starc gets the ball to rise sharply towards the ribs. Rahul gets his bat down just in time but the bounce into his feet almost spins back into the stumps. That was only just wide of off-stump. Rahul spins around to pull a single at deep square leg, Jadeja finds another at midwicket, then the opener ends the over with two more from a clip to an empty square leg.
39th over: India 132-5 (Rahul 79, Jadeja 22) Lyon pitches up to Rahul but the opener isn’t tempted to drive on the off-side. Rahul nudges a wider ball to backward point for a single.
38th over: India 131-5 (Rahul 78, Jadeja 22) Starc has Jadeja on the back foot with a ripping bouncer that has the batter swaying late to get out of the way. That’s the biggest sign of life we’ve seen from this pitch since the rain delay but the all-rounder remains. One from the over as Rahul passes the 77 that he made in the first Test in Perth.
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37th over: India 130-5 (Rahul 77, Jadeja 22) Lyon has changed ends with an ominous crack opening up roughly in front of middle stump. Jadeja takes a large step forward with his front foot to defend comfortably. Lyon drops short and finds the first hint of bounce but Jadeja rocks back and cuts between point and cover for four.
36th over: India 126-5 (Rahul 77, Jadeja 18) Starc takes over from Lyon who has hardly tested the India batters. The pacer has the ball angling away from the left-hander Jadeja outside off as the all-rounder punches a fuller delivery straight for a couple that bring up the 50-run partnership. A single off the last ball of the over will keep Jadeja on strike.
35th over: India 123-5 (Rahul 77, Jadeja 15) Cummins and Rahul renew their battle. The batter defends a straight and fuller delivery then finds a single at midwicket. Jadeja punches a well-timed straight drive just out of Cummins’ reach and wide of the pile of sawdust. Head gives chase from mid-on with pads and all but even with a late dive can’t quite prevent the boundary.
34th over: India 117-5 (Rahul 76, Jadeja 10) Lyon again around the wicket to Rahul as the first ball drifts too far down leg. The right-hander clubs away around the corner but Marsh is perfectly placed to at least get a hand to the bouncing ball and limit a certain boundary to a single. Lyon finds his range outside off as Jadeja defends on the front foot whenever possible.
33rd over: India 116-5 (Rahul 75, Jadeja 10) Cummins back into the attack after some rest of the rain delay and with Marsh rarely threatening the batters. A cracking straight drive from Rahul off the first ball is heading for the boundary until crashing into a small mountain of sawdust. That costs the India opener a couple of runs. Rahul gloves a shorter ball fine down the leg-side but out of reach of the keeper to pick up the boundary he missed earlier. A nudge to point adds a single in a promising over for Rahul after Cummins had troubled him earlier.
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32nd over: India 109-5 (Rahul 68, Jadeja 10) Jadeja opens up with a powerful sweep and finds the gap through square leg to the boundary.
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31st over: India 105-5 (Rahul 68, Jadeja 6) Marsh completes the over with a full toss targeted at the stumps and Rahul cracks it straight back at the bowler. The ball cannons into the stumps at the far end and straight to mid-off.
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The rain has gone, the sun has returned and both sides are making their way back to the middle at the Gabba. Mitch Marsh has one ball remaining in his over and will bowl to KL Rahul who was perhaps the one Indian unhappy to see the covers come out as he resumes on 68.
Play will resume at 11.25am local time / 12.25 AEDT with India on 105-5. Lunch is now scheduled for 12.45pm in Brisbane. A minimum of 84.1 overs are left in the day, weather depending.
Perhaps of greater concern for Australia is the availability of Josh Hazlewood as the hosts chase 15 wickets likely in limited time to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The Australia camp have just reported that Hazlewood felt an issue with his calf in the warm up today, rather than the side strain that kept him out of the second Test, and he will be taken for scans to assess the severity.
The umpires are on the field discussing the conditions with the ground staff as the covers are slowly being removed. The players look set to be back shortly but in the meantime both sides will have time to reflect on the first hour-and-a-bit of play. Australia impressed early as Pat Cummins in particular threatened – the skipper would have had KL Rahul out first ball of the day if not for Steve Smith grassing a simple chance at second slip. The Australia skipper picked up the wicket of Rohit Sharma soon after but Rahul remains as the India batter looking most likely to keep out the hosts.
First ball of the day and dropped!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/lY8cdsN5Wo
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 16, 2024
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31st over: India 105-5 (Rahul 68, Jadeja 6) Rahul’s good fortune continues as he steps onto the front foot to defend an angled delivery from Marsh and takes an edge. The contact is so thick that the ball flies through gully as Rahul swivels his head around to pick up a couple. Marsh works away outside off until the umpires give in to the drizzle that has arrived. The covers are on and play is paused with one ball remaining in the over.
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Australia are saying that Hazlewood has not been removed from the action due to a recurrence of the side strain that kept him out of the second Test. But the pacer remains off the field for the time being.
30th over: India 103-5 (Rahul 66, Jadeja 6) Lyon continues around the wicket and Rahul pulls through square leg for a single. Jadeja sweeps to the same area for another run, as Rahul leans back to cut for one more at cover. The India opener is looking especially comfortable now.
29th over: India 100-5 (Rahul 64, Jadeja 5) Double change for Australia as Mitch Marsh replaces Hazlewood after the pacer left the field at the drinks break. Rahul eases a cut shot to backward point for a single while Jadeja again turns the strike over with a quick single at gully. Marsh has overstepped on that one, as he tends to do a bit too often. Rahul finds another single at cover to bring up the 100 for India.
28th over: India 96-5 (Rahul 62, Jadeja 4) Lyon bowls his second over of the match on a green day four deck. Jadeja cuts the first ball for a single, Rahul nudges to the leg-side to add another as Lyon then ties down his fellow spinner.
Some early concern for Australia as Hazlewood, their onfield leaders Cummins and Smith, and the team physio are deep in talks during the drinks break. The pace bowler leaves the field alongside the physio and Nathan Lyon steps out his mark.
Australia have found enough in the pitch to beat the bat and create chances and might be rueing only taking one India wicket from the opening hour. tullyeh asks, “is it possible this pitch is actually greener as the Test goes on with the continuous sprinklings of rain!”
It is hard to remember a greener day four deck and without resorting to side-by-side photos from today and the day one, I’m going to say it does have a heavier hue of green.
27th over: India 94-5 (Rahul 61, Jadeja 3) Hazlewood comes into the attack for Starc and Rahul immediately dispatches a wide one through point to the boundary. Calling that a “loosener” would almost be too kind to the Australia quick. Hazlewood quickly returns to his familiar line and length just outside off as Rahul punches a single to point. That will be drinks after an entertaining first hour.
26th over: India 88-5 (Rahul 56, Jadeja 3) Cummins shows there is plenty of life left in this day four pitch with a short ball that rears up at Rahul who can only get a top edge from the pull shot. The ball falls safely for a single. Jadeja is quickly off strike with a push on the offside, as Cummins resorts to bowling back of a length to Rahul. The opener misses everything with another attempted pull shot then ends the over with a glance off the pads for three.
25th over: India 83-5 (Rahul 52, Jadeja 2) Rahul brings up his second fifty of the series and one that already looms as his most critical. A hard swipe outside off takes a thick edge to fly over slips to the boundary, then a drive through cover picks up three more to take Rahul to his milestone. Steve Smith has time to ponder what might have been after gifting the India opener a life when dropping a simple catch off the first ball of the day.
24th over: India 74-5 (Rahul 45, Jadeja 0) Cummins has beaten the bat several times this morning and finally gets the breakthrough as Rohit edges behind to Carey. First ball to Jadeja sets the tone of what may be to come for the India all-rounder as Cummins digs in a bouncer. Jadeja ducks under that one then keeps out a yorker.
WICKET! Rohit c Carey b Cummins 10 (India 74-5)
Cummins gets the wicket he has deserved this morning and unusually turns it up in the celebration. Rohit dabs with an angled bat as Cummins again targets the fifth stump as an edge flies through to Carey for a simple catch.
Pat Cummins is that fired up after getting Rohit Sharma!#AUSvIND | #OhWhatAFeeling | @Toyota_Aus pic.twitter.com/dZImJlva2I
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2024
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23rd over: India 74-4 (Rahul 45, Rohit 10) Cummins causing all kinds of problems again, this time beating Rohit with a leg-cutter much as he had troubled Rahul with earlier. Rohit responds with a punishing square drive to the boundary at deep point.
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22nd over: India 66-4 (Rahul 42, Rohit 5) Cummins causing all kinds of problems again, this time beating Rohit with a leg-cutter much as he had troubled Rahul with earlier. Rohit responds with a punishing square drive to the boundary at deep point.
21st over: India 61-4 (Rahul 41, Rohit 1) Another chance! Rahul ends the over with a mis-timed drive to mid-on and there is a delayed call for a single. Rohit is slow off the mark as Hazlewood pounces on the ball and throws to the striker’s end as the India skipper dives across the crease. He looked home but that was another scare for India. One delivery earlier and Rahul plays the shot of the morning so far with a square drive through point to the boundary.
20th over: India 52-4 (Rahul 36, Rohit 1) Cummins with another fast start to the over as the Australia skipper beats Rahul’s bat outside off. That one moved a touch too far away from Rahul off the seam. Cummins gets another to jag back into the India opener and he takes a heavy blow around the hip. Rahul happy to leave a couple more outside off for a maiden over.
19th over: India 52-4 (Rahul 36, Rohit 1) Starc starts to Rahul with a pair of good length deliveries that angle across the right-hander. Rahul fends away a shorter ball for a single. That one reared up at the batter which will only excite the Australia pacers. Rohit gets off the mark with a gentle drive.
18th over: India 52-4 (Rahul 34, Rohit 0) DROPPED! Almost the perfect start for Australia as Pat Cummins finds plenty of bounce out of the deck and takes KL Rahul’s edge on the way through for a regulation chance to Steve Smith at second slip. It arrives at waist height and Smith seems unsure whether to go fingers up or down. The ball bobs straight out of his hands and it is hard to believe that has been grassed. Smith looks devastated.
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Pat Cummins has the cherry in hand with KL Rahul resuming on 33 and India skipper Rohit Shama at the non-strikers’ end while yet to score after coming to the crease shortly before the last rain delay on day three.
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Virat Kohli was one of the key wickets to fall on day three as the India great continues his battle against Father Time as much as Australia’s pace attack.
Geoff Lemon has written superbly about the gradual decline of the four outstanding batters of recent times and whether Kohli can consistently rediscover something resembling his former glories.
Weather update: Promising signs for Australia with sunny skies overhead as we near the early start of play at 9.50am local time in Brisbane / 10.50am AEDT. But rain is very much forecast throughout the day as well as a high of 29 degrees.
Australia were able to build momentum across a rain-interrupted day three at the Gabba with India already four wickets down. The tourists’ first target today will be reaching 245 to avoid giving Australia the option to enforce the follow-on. But here is how day three played out:
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the fourth day of the third Test between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Australia made the most of the rain-affected third day to build a strong first-innings total of 445 and tear through the India top order to have them 51-4 at stumps. But the hosts are now in a race against time – and the weather – to claim India’s six remaining first-innings wickets as well as dismiss their entire batting lineup a second time. The star-studded pace trio have threatened in the limited time they have been able to take the ball in hand with opener KL Rahul the only India batter to get set and look particularly comfortable. But as Australia showed in their first knock, once a batter is set and the ball softens, the Gabba can be a good deck for batting. The impact of the stop-start action across the opening days as well as moisture in the air now looms as an added danger for batters, though there are also signs of cracks that will tempt the spinners. We’ll be back with more of a weather and pitch report shortly.
First ball is scheduled to be at 9.50am local time or 10.50pm AEDT. I’ll be covering the first session and a half, when Angus Fontaine will jump into the hot seat. In the meantime, send me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
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