IND vs AUS, 3rd Test: India 48/4 at Tea amidst rain disruptions

Brisbane: India endured a dismal Day 3 in the third Test at the Gabba, collapsing to 48/4 in 14.1 overs and trailing Australia’s commanding first-innings total of 445 by 397 runs.

Rain disruptions compounded their struggles, with the looming threat of a follow-on adding to the pressure.

The day began with Australia’s lower order chipping in 40 valuable runs, as Alex Carey reached a gritty half-century before Jasprit Bumrah wrapped up the innings with figures of 6/76. This effort extended the hosts’ already imposing total, setting the stage for a daunting task ahead for India.

India’s reply got off to a nightmare start, with Mitchell Starc setting the tone by striking twice in his fiery opening overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal (4) was the first to fall, flicking a half-volley straight to Mitchell Marsh at short mid-wicket. Shubman Gill (1) followed soon after, edging a full delivery to gully. Starc then claimed the prized scalp of Virat Kohli (3), who nicked an expansive drive to Alex Carey behind the stumps.

Pat Cummins added to India’s misery, dismissing Rishabh Pant (9) with a textbook outswinger. Amid the collapse, KL Rahul showed some resilience with a composed 30 off 52 balls, playing a few crisp strokes to keep India’s hopes alive. However, his partner, captain Rohit Sharma, is yet to open his account, having faced only one delivery.

Australia’s bowlers, led by Starc (2/24) and Cummins (1/7), exploited the overcast conditions to devastating effect. With India needing 246 runs to avoid the follow-on, the task ahead looks increasingly difficult, particularly with the Gabba pitch offering assistance to the bowlers.

Rain interruptions were a recurring feature of the day, forcing an early tea break and causing multiple delays. Despite the ground staff’s best efforts to keep the field playable, the damp conditions favoured the Australian pacers, who maintained unrelenting pressure throughout India’s innings.

Cricket experts were critical of India’s batting approach. Parthiv Patel lamented the lack of application, noting, "India’s top-order lacked discipline, gifting their wickets to Australia’s disciplined attack. Dinesh Karthik, meanwhile, lauded the Australian bowlers for capitalising on every opportunity, stating, "The pressure they maintained was relentless, and India simply couldn’t cope."

With more rain forecast, Australia will hope for enough playing time to enforce their dominance and secure a victory. For India, survival is paramount, and they will rely on Rahul and Rohit to forge a significant partnership to stay in the contest.