Brisbane: After the Adelaide debacle, India’s top order crumbled again in Brisbane on Monday.
In between multiple stoppages in play due to showers, India slipped to 51/4 at stumps on Day of the third Test after Australia had stretched their first innings total to 445.
But for a full day’s action on Sunday, there wet weather allowed just 13.2 overs on Day 1 and 33 overs on Day 3. There is more rain predicted on the last two days, and Team India will be hoping that the Met office’s prediction is correct as it seems only the weather can save the visiting side from a second successive mauling in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a streaky boundary off the first ball of the innings from Mitchell Starc but flicked the next delivery straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg. Besides his century in the second innings of the Perth Test, Jaiswal has managed scores of 0, 0, 24 and 4.
In Starc’s second over, Shubman Gill attempted to drive a well pitched-up delivery only to be caught superbly by a flying Marsh at gully.
Virat Kohli lasted 16 balls for 3 runs before pushing at a widish ball from Josh Hazlewood around the sixth off stump and nicked a simple catch to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Rishabh Pant also edged Pat Cummins to the wicketkeeper, and India were 44/4 even as occasional rain forced the players in and out of the dressing room.
Amidst the procession of his teammates, KL Rahul batted with composure and confidence in difficult conditions. Two silken cover drives by Rahul, on either side of Pant’s dismissal, were the highlight of India’s dismal batting effort in 17 overs so far.
Rahul, unbeaten on 33, was joined by skipper Rohit Sharma who managed to survive six balls without scoring before the players were forced off the field for the last time in the day.
Brief Scores
Australia 1st innings: 445 (Alex Carey 70; Jasprit Bumrah 6/76, Md Siraj 2/97).
India 1st innings: 51/4 (KL Rahul batting 33; Mitchell Starc 2/25).
3rd Test to continue on Day 4 in Brisbane.
