Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Australia pacers dominate India on frustrating rainy day

Brisbane: Monday turned out to be a frustrating day in the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test as rain ensured it made its presence felt by disrupting the proceedings for uncountable times. But Australia’s pacers managed to get into the wickets and leave India in deep trouble.

After stumps came on a day where only 33.1 overs of play was possible, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood scythed through the top-order to leave India at 51/4 in 17 overs and trail Australia by 394 runs.

With KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma unbeaten on 33 and zero respectively, India need more 246 runs to avoid a follow-on, a scenario which they haven’t faced after The Oval Test in 2011. But with rain expected on days four and five, India might just save themselves from being 2-1 behind in the five-match series.

In the morning, under overcast skies, Australia’s first innings ended at an imposing 445, with Alex Carey making 70. Jasprit Bumrah claimed his sixth wicket and end with 6-76 in his 28 overs, before Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep managed to get a scalp and end Australia’s innings.

After rain forced a five-minute delay in commencement of the proceedings, Carey raised his fifty by sweeping Ravindra Jadeja through backward square leg for a boundary. Starc had some fun by slog-sweeping and heaving for his boundaries off Jadeja and Bumrah, before nicking behind to Rishabh Pant off the latter.

It also gave Bumrah his 50th Test wicket in Australia, becoming just the second India pacer after Kapil Dev to reach the landmark. Carey got boundaries off Akash Deep on either side of a 15-minute rain interruption, before Siraj castled Nathan Lyon with a full and straight delivery. Carey was the last man to fall for Australia after he pulled to mid-wicket off Akash, as Australia continued to be in box seat of the match.

In the final session, only 2.5 overs of play was managed. After Starc completed his over, Rahul and Rohit faced the off-spin of Nathan Lyon and Travis Head, as the duo bowled from round the wicket angle and found some turn and tons of bounce. Some hope of more overs to be completed ended when rain came back again and brought the curtains on a frustrating day of Test cricket.

Brief Scores: Australia 445 in 117.1 overs (Travis Head 152, Steve Smith 101; Jasprit Bumrah 6-76, Mohammed Siraj 2-97) lead India 51/4 in 17 overs (KL Rahul 33 not out; Mitchell Starc 2-25) by 394 runs. IANS

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