A view of the Gabba.
Credit: X/@BCCI
The Gabba, until Wednesday, was the venue where India had recorded their greatest overseas win in 2021 with a ragtag team. From Wednesday, it will also go down as a venue where they scripted their finest save.
In a rain-marred third Test, which saw players spend more time in their change rooms than on the field, Australia had positioned themselves in a strong position from where they could have launched their bid for a crucial series lead. Few, though, would have expected the resilience the Indian lower-order and tail displayed that paved the way for a morale-boosting draw. So much so that at one position, when they reduced Australia to 33/5 in their second innings, they briefly raised hopes of an improbable win.
Australia had drawn the schedule for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series quite strategically, having carefully sequenced the venues. The plan was simple but sound. Soften India on the pacy Perth, deflate them under the Adelaide lights in the day/night Test and leave them completely demoralised on the bouncy Gabba. Australia's idea was to gain at least 2-0 lead, if not the series-winning 3-0 lead, before the caravan moved to Melbourne (January 26-30) and then to Sydney (January 3-7), the two grounds where Australia wouldn;t want to take chances with India.
The home team's best laid plans, however, came undone in spectacular fashion as India left the Gabba with scores level at 1-1 besides gaining a clear psychological edge ahead of the Boxing Day Test. The eventual score card of the third Test may not reveal the true story of the third Test but the devil always lies in the details.
Until Jasprit Bumrah-Akash Deep's defiance for the last wicket helped them avoid the follow-on on Tuesday evening, India were always behind the eight ball. The last-wicket stand, which ended with Akash's dismissal off Nathan Lyon on Wednesday morning, made the difference between India drawing and losing.
Having extracted a 185-run lead after restricting India to 260 all out and with more than an hour's play lost due to severe weather and rain, there was no way Australia could have lost this game. They didn't but not before India planted some serious concerns in the Australian dugout.
Eyeing an early declaration with some quick runs, Australia found themselves in absolute disarray as the Indian pacers ripped through the cream of their batting, once again exposing the fault lines in the hosts' batting line-up.
Jasprit Bumrah (3/18), Akash Deep (2/28) and Mohammed Siraj (2/35) left Australia reeling at 33 for five as the Indian team's supporters, who formed nearly 95 percent of the small but vocal crowd, lapped up each moment with glee.
Bumrah finished with match figures of 9/94 for his second best match returns.
A few lusty hits from skipper Pat Cummins helped Australia declare their innings at 89/7, setting India a target of 275 in a maximum of 54 overs. India were 8/0 in 2.1 overs when rain stopped play never to be resumed again.