3rd Test, Day 4: Rahul, Jadeja and Bumrah-Deep blitz helps India avoid follow-on
KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja’s fifties and a blitz from Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah for the final wicket ensured that India avoided the follow-on in the 3rd Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Tuesday, December 17. Rahul’s 84 and Jadeja’s 77 kept the hosts at bay before 39 runs from Bumrah and Deep completely left them frustrated, leaving the Indian team management and fans in ecstasy. The Aussies were ultimately left frustrated by the rain and the resilience of 4 batters as the win seems to be slipping away from them.
There was absolute drama with the very first ball of Day 4 as KL Rahul edged on to slips, and it seemed like a straightforward catch to the ever-dependable Steve Smith. However, he would drop the chance and gave Rahul a lifeline. The Indian batter would make the most of the chance as he started to show resilience and grit to get India to a safe spot.
On the other end, however, Rohit Sharma didn’t look convincing at all as the Indian captain struggled to get going. While he was able to get a good shot off Cummins’ bowling, Rohit was under the couche and ultimately fell to his counterpart for 10 runs off 27 balls to continue his torrid time down under. India were left reeling at 74 for 5 at this point and the Aussies were feeling confident of bowling India out and forcing a follow-on.
Gabba Test Day 4: Highlights | Scorecard
Rahul reached his fifty off 85 balls to keep the fight going on and received good support in the form of Ravindra Jadeja at the other end. The duo would post 67-run stand to frustrate the hosts and the rain assisted the duo even more. There were a total of 4 rain stoppages throughout the day, after the 6 on Monday.
Rahul looked set for a well-deserved hundred and seemed to be coasting when he was on 84. But Smith was able to redeem himself as he pulled off an absolute stunner at slips off the bowling of Nathan Lyon just before lunch to jolt the Indian resistance at 141 for 6.
The onus was on Jadeja at that point to bail out the Indian team and the young Nitish Kumar Reddy would offer some solid company. The visitors went into lunch at 167 for 6 and there was an extended delay due to rain. Once the play restarted, Jadeja got to his fifty in fine fashion and brought out the sword celebration.
Rain would return soon after Jadeja’s fifty as India seemed to be edging closer to avoid the follow-on with the score at 180 for 6. But Australia would hit back after the play resumed as Cummins was able to end Nitish’s resistance at the crease as India’s tail was exposed.
Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj got the score past the 200-run mark when rain would come to halt the proceedings once again, bringing out a hilarious reaction from Starc. Soon after the restart, Siraj’s stay was ended by Starc as India slipped further into trouble.
Australia took full control as Jadeja’s attempt to farm the strike would force him a rash shot and he was caught in the deep, with the score at 213 for 9. This left Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep forced to fight for their lives.
Bumrah was certainly not ready to go down without a fight as he would pull Cummins for a six to eat into the deficit and keep the scoreboard ticking. Akash Deep would also join in as the duo showed incredible resistance as the Aussies were frustrated even more.
Akash Deep would then hit a boundary off Cummins to ensure India would avoid the follow-on, as big celebrations ensued in the dressing room and amongst the Indian faithful at the Gabba. He would then flex his muscles against the Aussie skipper to deposit him in the stands. The lightmeter would ensure that India would force the game into Day 5 and leave the Aussies frustrated.
Rahul and Jadeja show what Indian batters need to do
Over the years, cricket has changed a lot. We have seen the advent of what England wants to call ‘Bazball’ and we have seen India go for a more intent-filled approach. However, these new mantras come with a statutory warning that, at times, they may not deliver the results all the time.
Look at England, who tried the approach of trying to chase 600+ runs in the 3rd Test against New Zealand and lost by a huge margin. India faced setbacks in the New Zealand series and in Adelaide and at the Gabba as the top-order absolutely folded.
During this time, the often criticised Rahul would show that all you needed to do was respect certain deliveries with a hard defence and leave a few menacing ones outside off. When the ball is there to be hit, the Indian opener went hard at it and didn’t give the Aussies any chance apart from the Smith dropped catch.
Jadeja followed the same mantra and it almost people wonder why he wasn’t used in the first 2 matches. The southpaw was smart against Lyon, who has had his number over the years and employed the sweep short smartly against the spinner.
As Sanjay Bangar rightfully put it, the other Indian batters need to imbibe the qualities Rahul showed during his Gabba knock in the coming matches. Maybe, they could also have a look at how Bumrah and Akash Deep showed resistance as well.
Sometimes, the beauty of Test cricket doesn’t lie in the flashy shots and entertaining people. It is all about just grinding it out and frustrating the opponents.
Australia left frustrated despite giving their all
The Australian team would be absolutely gutted by how things unfolded on Day 4. Cummins led from the front with 4 wickets, and he found support from Starc as well from the other end. They were left handicapped as the hosts lost Josh Hazlewood to injury once again, and it seems like he will be out of the series.
The fielding of the hosts on the day was on point as the Indian batters were made to work for the runs, and it always seemed like the hosts were always on top. But the constant rain breaks and an unexpected partnership from Bumrah and Akash Deep caught them off guard.
While they will believe they have a chance still, it seems like the match at the Gabba is heading for a draw, especially with rain expected to play a role on Day 5.
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