Play on Day 4 was halted due to bad light, forcing players to leave the field early. India successfully avoided the follow-on, courtesy of an unbeaten 39-run partnership between Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep for the last wicket.
At the close of play, India were 252/9 in 74.5 overs, trailing Australia’s first-innings score of 445 by 193 runs.
The action began with KL Rahul being handed a lifeline off the very first ball, as Steve Smith dropped a straightforward chance. However, Rohit Sharma failed to capitalize, departing early for just 10 runs.
KL Rahul made the most of his reprieve, anchoring the Indian innings with a fluent knock of 84 runs on a rain-interrupted day. He found solid support in Ravindra Jadeja, who showcased his class with a brilliant 77.
Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with a 16-run contribution, but the highlight of India’s fightback came from the lower order. Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep stitched together an unbeaten 39-run partnership, which proved pivotal in helping India cross the follow-on mark.
The day’s play was eventually cut short as bad light forced the players off the field. With India battling hard to stay in the contest, Australia will aim to tighten their grip on the match on Day 5.
The hosts will look to add some quick runs to set a challenging fourth-innings target for India and press for a decisive victory.
