IND vs AUS 3rd Test: KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Akash Deep star as India avoid follow-on in Brisbane

Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Reddy's unbeaten 39-run stand for the final wicket helped India avoid the follow-on. (BCCI Photo)

Despite only 57.5 overs being bowled in the day, India faced a nail-biting battle to save the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Brisbane. KL Rahul’s splendid 84 and another fighting half-century from Ravindra Jadeja prevented the innings from falling apart, but it still needed a heroic 39-run last-wicket partnership between Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah to go past the follow-on target of 246. When play was called off because of bad light, India were 252 for 9, 193 behind on first innings.

Australia’s hopes for the series as a whole, however, were dealt a big blow when Josh Hazlewood, who bowled only one tentative over on day 4, was ruled out with a right-calf strain. Scott Boland is likely to replace him for the Boxing Day Test. In his absence, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon had to do the bulk of the bowling.

Cummins should have had a wicket with the first ball of the day, after Rahul edged it towards the slip cordon. But to add injury to insult, Steve Smith not only put down a sitter but also trod on Usman Khawaja’s foot in the process. Australia didn’t have to wait too long for a wicket though. Rohit Sharma had narrowly escaped being bowled off an inside edge, but when he sparred tentatively at one from Cummins in the off-stump corridor, Alex Carey took the catch. Rohit has now scored 152 runs in his last 13 Test innings.

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Rahul and Jadeja rebuilt the innings with some positive batting. Rahul showed immaculate judgement of which balls to leave, and played some fine cuts and drives, while Jadeja was at his strongest playing down the ground. He also nailed some powerful sweeps off Nathan Lyon and cut hard when given width. Rahul was on course for a second century in Australia, a decade after his first, when Smith redeemed himself with a sensational catch.

The cut shot off Lyon flew off the edge, but Smith had already started moving to his right in anticipation. A dive to his right and a one-handed grab left Rahul shocked, and on his way back to the pavilion for 84.

Nitish Kumar Reddy drove the second ball he faced for four, but with Jadeja for company, he eschewed the attacking shots he had shown in the first two Tests. The two added 53 either side of a couple of rain interruptions before Reddy was bowled off the inside edge by Cummins.

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With just the bowlers for company, Jadeja, who now averages more than 50 in Australia, was forced to take chances. After Mohammed Siraj edged Starc behind, Jadeja’s attempt to pull Cummins over the infield found Mitchell Marsh running in and taking a fine low catch. Jadeja hit seven fours and a six in his 123-ball 77.

At that stage, India were still 33 short of avoiding the follow-on, but with Bumrah hooking Cummins for six, and Akash twice upper-cutting over the slips, the dressing room breathed sighs of relief. Akash celebrated Australia having to bat again with a mighty swipe off Cummins that sailed over midwicket for six.

Australia, undoubtedly, remain in the driver’s seat, even with three frontline bowlers, but the biggest obstacle could well be the weather, with more showers forecast for the final day. Whether they will have the time or the nerve to set India a tricky target remains to be seen.