KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja batted solidly to ensure India remain afloat and avoid a collapse early on day four at the Gabba. Australia chipped away with a couple of wickets and are still dominating the Test match.
After just 33.1 overs were possible on day three, rain finally relented on the fourth morning and 32 overs were bowled in that first session. Day four started in dramatic fashion.
Steve Smith dropped an absolute sitter on the very first ball. KL Rahul who was batting on 33 survived as Australia skipper Pat Cummins was the unlucky bowler. After that drop, Rahul went back to his solid self and looked very assured at the crease. He kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely as well.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma’s misery continued. He got a couple of boundaries, one controlled through the off-side and another through an inside edge. But Cummins got him to edge one to the keeper as the Indian captain poked tentatively outside the off-stump.
At 74/5, India were in deep trouble. The follow-on mark was well away. That’s when Ravindra Jadeja joined forces with Rahul to help India fight back. The duo batted excellently and added 67 runs for the 6th wicket. Rahul notched up his 17th Test fifty and the second of this tour.
Josh Hazlewood bowled just one over in the morning before news came in that he was taken for scans because of a sore calf. That meant Australia were a bowler down.
However, Rahul and Jadeja ensured India kept reducing the deficit. Both batters put away anything loose. They drove well and rotated strike nicely as the stand lasted for 19 overs.
Steve Smith’s stunning catch helps Australia dismiss KL Rahul before lunch
Just when things looked settled for India and it seemed like they would go into lunch just five down, a Steve Smith stunner sent back Rahul. Smith who had dropped the Karnataka batter on the first ball of the day took an absolute blinder at slip off Nathan Lyon. Rahul missed out on a well-deserved ton as he was dismissed for 84.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jadeja took India to lunch safely. The all-rounder duo put on an undefeated 26 runs for the 7th wicket.
India are still 79 runs away from avoiding the follow-on. The current partnership between Jadeja and Reddy will be crucial for India. With time and weather a factor in the game, Australia will be looking to wrap things up quickly. They are a bowler down and the onus will be on Starc, Cummins and Lyon to do the bulk of the bowling.
KEY PERFORMANCES: Australia 445 (Travis Head 152, Steve Smith 101, Alex Carey 70, Jasprit Bumrah 6/76, Mohammed Siraj 2/97) vs India 167/6 (KL Rahul 84, Ravindra Jadeja 41*, Mitchell Starc 2/58, Pat Cummins 2/41, Nathan Lyon 1/33).
