Brisbane: Australia & India third Test in Brisbane was held 2-2 with thunderstorms preventing the hosts from getting a chance at an unthinkable win Wednesday, keeping the series at 1-1.
A late tea at the Gabba on bad lighting with India 8-0 (who had been given 275 to win), Australia’s verdict 89-7.
But a major storm hit the region over the break and play was cancelled and now the five-Test series is off to Melbourne and Sydney.
The result corrodes India’s hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next year and now Australia are certain to go into the final with South Africa in mind.
Rain disrupting play every day of the Test, any hope of a result other than a draw seemed gone when India opted out of the follow-on late on Tuesday.
But in the second innings Australia got going to bowl the tourists out and secure a improbable victory.
Australia lost most of the morning session, but they played their second innings after lunch without any signs of a swing.
But once the on-again-off-again opening pair Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney gave up, with the equally unfit Marnus Labuschagne also on the run, things seemed to settle down for the Australians as the crease weapon came to fire.
Khawaja who turned 38 on Wednesday entered the second innings after an off-slow spell that didn’t include a century since June 2023.
He drove two fours off the first over of Mohammed Siraj but it only took the captain Jasprit Bumrah one ball to dismiss his partner as the left hander scampered off an inside edge that also cut his pad.
Labuschagne was the next to depart after slipping at a wide from Bumrah and diving past wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
The slaughter goes on when McSweeney cut an off-side shot from Akash Deep and just inside Pant’s legs to put the Australians up 16-3.
Deep got his second as Mitchell Marsh who was batting at number four also hung his bat and gave it to Pant, with Australia stuck at 28-4.
That was 33-5 when Steve Smith was trapped in the face by a diving Pant off Siraj for four.
As you can see Australia obviously trying to present an Indians target and Travis Head (17) went for quick runs with a wild chase off Siraj that sent his top edge skyward for Pant to make his fifth catch.
Skipper Pat Cummins came in and hit 22 off 10 balls, but then mistimed a pull shot off Bumrah and flies out to KL Rahul in mid-off.
He snubbed Mitchell Starc but announced right after.
India ended the day on 252-9 against the 445 of hosts a 10th-wicket partnership by Bumrah and Deep late Tuesday meant they didn’t have to face the continuation.
They were out for 260 four overs into the first session when Deep was stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off spinner Head (part-time).