India’s lower-order were at it once again, with different players as compared to Sydney, as they frustrated the Australian bowlers and cut down the first innings lead to only 33 runs. A massive 123-run partnership between Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur for the 7th wicket kept India in the game. Australia had to bat out 6 overs on Day 3 before stumps, with openers David Warner and Marcus Harris coming away unscathed. The hosts were ahead by 54 runs when stumps were drawn.
Earlier, India’s mammoth seventh wicket stand between Shardul Thakur and Sundar was ended by Pat Cummins with Thakur being castled on 67, in the third session of Day 3 at the Gabba.
Thakur and Sundar though added a massive 123 runs defying and frustrating the Aussie bowlers in what ended up becoming the match’s highest partnership so far. The two started with India’s score at 186/6 and by the time Australia finally made the breakthrough, India’s score read 309/7.
India’s two overnight batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara along with Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant have all lost their wickets so far on Day 3 of the fourth Test at the Gabba.
Pujara was the first to go as he edged one to Tim Paine off Josh Hazlewdood. The Aussie skipper made no mistake today and held onto the ball as India’s number three bat departed on 25.
Rahane then was joined by Mayank Agarwal and the pair steadied the innings and also stitched together a partnership of 39 runs but just as the teams were getting ready for Lunch, Mitchell Starc struck. Rahane caught at fourth slip by Matthew Wade. Out on 37.
Rishabh Pant and Mayank Agarwal then added a quick 17 off 32 balls before the Lunch break but when play resumed, Mayank’s 75-ball innings was ended by Josh Hazlewood. Steve Smith with the catch in the slips and India down to 161/5.
The latest wicket to fall is that of Rishabh Pant with Hazlewood picking up his third wicket of the day. The 29-ball 23 from the Indian keeper will be his contribution to the Indian total for the day as he’s caught by Cameron Green.
India’s score read 186/6 as Pant walked back to the dressing room.
Washington Sundar then was left with the bowlers to bat alongside but he and Shardul Thakur stitched together a memorable partnership with the pair adding 123 runs to the team’s total. It was also the highest seventh-wicket partnership for India at The Gabba.
Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar had earlier held the record, scoring 58 runs in 1991.
Thakur’s wicket saw Navdeep Saini come out to bat indicating that the bowler has recovered from the groin strain that ruled him out of the attack on the first two days of the Gabba Test.
He could only add 5 balls to the team’s total before Hazlewood made him his fourth wicket of the innings.
After that, Sundar continued to chip away at the Australian total with Navdeep Saini for company.
The debutant eventually finished with 62 as Starc had him caught at gully. Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan added 8 runs after that for the final wicket as India conceded a 33 run lead.
For Australia, Josh Hazlewood picked five wickets.
The four-match series is currently tied at 1-1 with Australia winning the first match in Adelaide while India registering a win in the second in Melbourne. The third Test in Sydney had ended in a draw.
Brief scores: India 336 all out (Shardul Thakur 67, Washington Sundar 62; Josh Hazlewood 5/57), Australia 369 & 21/0.
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