Brisbane: Skipper Pat Cummins joined the wicket-takers’ party by dismissing Rishabh Pant as India fell into more trouble on day two of third Test at the Gabba on Monday.
At tea, taken due to rain stopping the proceedings yet again, India are at 48/4 in 14.1 overs, trailing Australia by 397 runs.
After lunch was taken early due to persistent rain, there were eleven balls of action where Pant and KL Rahul resorted to rotating the strike before the drizzle came in the way again. Post resumption, Pant and Rahul played for 4.3 overs, before rain again came to force them off the field.
After rain relented, Rahul leaned into a gorgeous drive off Cummins for four. But Cummins bounced back to when he angled one across the stumps and forced Pant to play at it, and he ended up nicking behind to Alex Carey for nine.
It also marked the third time Cummins dismissed Pant in this series, after not taking his wicket previously in Tests. Rahul drilled Starc through cover for four, before looking despondent and Starc giving a frustrated look as rain came again and forced the tea break to be taken.
With 246 runs needed for India to avoid the follow-on, a lot will depend on Rahul, who is unbeaten on 30 and has played with discipline, soft hands and exquisite strokeplay, as well as skipper Rohit Sharma to save the visitors’ from losing in a rain-hit Test match.
Brief Scores: Australia 445 in 117.1 overs (Travis Head 152, Steve Smith 101; Jasprit Bumrah 6-76, Mohammed Siraj 2-97) lead India 48/4 in 14.1 overs (KL Rahul 30 not out; Mitchell Starc 2-24) by 397 runs
–IANS