India’s lower-order have got their teammates out of a big hole and put them in a strong position to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, if they are good enough.
While the visitors are a long way behind in the third Test at the Gabba, the calf injury to Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood – likely to keep him out for the rest of the series – has given more significance to the unbroken 39-run stand for the 10th wicket by Akash Deep (27no) and Jasprit Bumrah (10no).
The stand, which ensured India avoided the follow-on, has gone a long way to securing a vital draw with one day remaining.
It has also given the team momentum ahead of the remaining Tests in Melbourne and Sydney. The series is likely to be 1-1 when the teams go to the MCG, with India needing to win just one of the two Tests thereafter to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
When Akash hit the boundary that ensured Australia would bat in the third innings of the match, Virat Kohli and coach Gautam Gambhir were high-fiving in the change rooms, well aware of the significance of the moment.
Opener KL Rahul, who played magnificently for his 84, reiterated the significance of the tailend stand.
“It was not just the runs they got but the heart they showed. It will give us as a group a lot of confidence,” Rahul said.
“When it mattered they played some very exciting shots.
“It is really good to see that they could get that partnership and avoid the follow-on.
“It makes a huge difference knowing that there is a bit of rain around. We needed to find a way to stay in the game. Bumrah and Akash did that. It was a good way to end the day for us.”
There was plenty of debate about which of India’s three spinners should play in this Test after Washington Sundar played the opening Test in Perth and Ravichandran Ashwin the second in Adelaide.
Ravindra Jadeja, the best batter of the trio, was preferred in Brisbane and it proved to be a masterstroke.
Jadeja, who made a vital 77, came to the wicket with India in dire straights at 5-74 and combined with Rahul and then Nitish Kumar Reddy (16) to inch India closer to the follow-on.
“He was brilliant today and he has been brilliant batting down the order for us for many years,” Rahul said.
“I was very happy to stitch a partnership with him and then he went on to make 77 with the tail when every run was crucial for us.
“It is very good to see when the lower-order chips in and scores runs. That is something we discuss a lot in our meetings and the bowlers work really hard on their batting as well.”
India will resume at 9-252 on day five in reply to Australia’s 445 and while the hosts cannot lose this Test, the feats of the India lower-order may yet prove telling by the end of the series.
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au