BRISBANE (AP) – Australia only got to bowl 17 overs at India on another rain affected day in the third cricket test but it was enough for its pace attack to dismantle India’s top-order as it sunk to 51-4 and end the third day 394 runs behind the hosts.
After Australia’s tail wagged with the bat for a little longer to reach 445 all out early yesterday, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood quickly had India in trouble with a devastating opening spell at the Gabba.
Starc (2-25) took the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in his first two overs to set the tone, before Hazlewood (1-17) captured the prize wicket of Virat Kohli just before one of many passing rain showers brought on an early lunch with India at 22-3.
After removing Jaiswal (4) with the first ball of the innings in the second test at Adelaide, Starc needed just two balls at the Gabba to remove the tourist’s opener.
The first ball was swiped through gully for a boundary by the 22-year-old but the second he chipped a simple catch to Mitch Marsh at midwicket for a soft dismissal.
In his next over, Starc struck again with Marsh diving acrobatically to take a two-handed catch at gully to remove Shubman Gill (1) and India was 7-2.
Hazlewood, back in the team after a side strain ruled him out of last week’s second test, then rocked India further by teasing an edge from the veteran Kohli to have India three down as rain began to fall and prompted an early lunch.
On the resumption, skipper Pat Cummins (1-7) got his first wicket by removing Rishabh Pant caught behind to reduce India to 44-4.
Captain Rohit Sharma came out to join KL Rahul but there was only time for a superb cover dive boundary for the latter before another passing shower forced players from the field.
The rest of the afternoon saw the weather look to clear but just as play appeared set to resume another passing rain shower would cross over the arena. Play finally resumed at about 5.05pm but only 17 more balls were bowled for three runs, before another passing shower and deteriorating light forced the end of the day’s play.
Australia now has two days of play remaining, weather permitting, and it’s path to a possible victory would seem to be contingent on bowling India out for 245 or less in the first innings and enforce the follow on.
“We’ve got six wickets to take first,” Marsh said after play. “We know we have to take 20 wickets to try and win this test. All our conversations and planning will be how do we do that.”