Australia’s pacemen rattled through India’s top order on a rain-hit day three of the third test in Brisbane on Monday but the recurring wet weather put the brakes on the hosts’ charge.
India were 51 for four at stumps, trailing Australia’s first-innings total by 394 runs, as play was abandoned nearly an hour early due to bad light at the Gabba.
Opener KL Rahul was unbeaten on 33 with India skipper Rohit Sharma yet to score.
Australia’s bowlers could send down only 17 overs after being bowled out for 445 in the morning. Captain Pat Cummins did well to have Rishabh Pant caught behind for nine in the first over following a rain break before tea.
Two balls later, following a glorious cover drive for four by Rahul off Mitchell Starc, the players trudged off the ground as tea was called early.
More rain saw the resumption of play delayed after tea and when it finally kicked off again Australia were reduced to bowling only a couple of overs of spin due to poor light after paceman Starc had completed his earlier interrupted over.
It was a frustrating day for the loyal crowd of 16,180 but perhaps more so for the home team, whose chances of forcing a result were progressively eroded.
Adding to the angst, there is more rain forecast for days four and five.
Australia, nonetheless, dominated what play there was, continuing on from their superb day two when Travis Head and Steve Smith scored centuries to build a big total.
Starc took two wickets in six balls with the help of namesake Mitchell Marsh, while Josh Hazlewood removed Virat Kohli as India’s reply got off to a dreadful start.
Starc struck with the second ball of the innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal flicking a shot off his pads to be out for four, with Marsh jogging across from square leg to take an easy catch.
Big left-armer Starc then dismissed Shubman Gill for one as the number three drove at a full delivery to send a thick edge to Marsh, who leapt to his left in the gully to take a screamer of a catch.
Kohli lasted only 16 balls for his three runs, nibbling at a Hazlewood delivery to be caught behind.
Rahul survived, though, after wearing a painful blow on his wrist from Hazlewood’s first ball of the morning.
The hosts resumed in the morning on 405 for seven, adding 40 runs for their last three wickets.
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey contributed a valuable 70 before caught slogging, becoming recalled paceman Akash Deep’s first and only wicket of the innings.
Jasprit Bumrah finished with 6-76, adding Starc to his haul after the tailender made a useful 18, while Mohammed Siraj bowled Nathan Lyon for two to finish with 2-97.
The five-match series is tied at 1-1 with two matches to come in Melbourne and Sydney.
(With inputs from Reuters)
