BGT: Rain Disrupts Day 5, Resulting in Draw at Gabba Test

Brisbane, Dec 18 (NationPress) Rain ultimately played a spoiling role, preventing a thrilling conclusion to the Gabba Test on day five, resulting in a draw between Australia and India on Wednesday. This draws the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series level at 1-1 as it heads to Melbourne for the upcoming Boxing Day Test.

The match saw rain as a persistent factor, allowing only 22 overs of play on the final day. After dismissing India for 260, thus securing a 185-run first-innings lead, Australia declared its second innings at 89/7, setting a target of 275 runs for the visitors in an attempt to claim an unlikely victory.

At the time of the rain interruption, India had scored eight runs without loss in just 2.1 overs, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal both remaining unbeaten on four runs each. They faced a total of 13 deliveries before bad light halted play, and shortly after, rain arrived, preventing any further action. Fittingly, the match concluded with both teams shaking hands amidst the rain, as only 216.1 overs were played over five days.

On day five, resuming from 252/9 and having avoided the follow-on, Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah continued their efforts to minimize the deficit for India. They managed to add eight runs in four overs, creating a last-wicket partnership of 47 runs before Travis Head intervened.

Head, bowling from around the wicket, produced a delivery that moved across Akash, beating his outside edge as he was drawn forward. Consequently, Akash’s back foot left the crease and Alex Carey executed a sharp stumping, concluding India’s innings with him scoring 31 runs off 44 balls.

The 47-run partnership for the last wicket between Akash and Bumrah set a new record for India in terms of tenth-wicket partnerships in Tests against Australia at the Gabba, surpassing the previous record of 33 runs held by Manoj Prabhakar and Javagal Srinath in 1991/92.

As Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Wednesday, prepared to bat, a lighting alert at the Gabba forced everyone off the field, resulting in a lunch break.

After achieving a 185-run lead, Australia’s second innings was marked by quick action over 18 overs. They took aggressive shots but were dismissed rapidly by India’s pace attack. However, with a substantial lead, Australia found 274 runs sufficient to declare, aided by contributions from Carey, Head, and Cummins.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah secured three wickets, finishing with match figures of nine. This performance also brought his total wickets in Australia to 53, establishing a new record for the most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in Tests on Australian soil, surpassing Kapil Dev’s previous mark of 51.

Bumrah was well-supported by Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, both contributing two wickets each. Bumrah initiated the first breakthrough with inward movement on a length delivery, claiming the inside edge of birthday boy Khawaja to hit the top of off stump. He later returned to claim Marnus Labuschagne, who nicked a delivery to Rishabh Pant.

Akash followed up by taking the wicket of Nathan McSweeney, who edged a ball outside off stump behind to Pant. Mitchell Marsh’s promotion to number four proved ineffective as Akash caught his outer edge, leading to another catch by Pant.

Siraj then got Steve Smith down the leg side, with Pant executing a remarkable diving catch. Head and Carey struck rapid boundaries before Head attempted a big shot, resulting in a top-edge caught by Pant, who completed his fifth catch of the innings. This marked the fourth occasion of Pant taking five or more catches in a Test innings, equalling the record for any Indian keeper in Tests alongside MS Dhoni.

Cummins had an entertaining stint, hitting a four and six off Akash and doing the same against Siraj, before falling prey to a slower ball from Bumrah, being caught at cover for 22 runs off just 10 balls. Just five balls post his dismissal, Cummins called back the batters to declare Australia’s innings, setting the stage for an exhilarating finish that ultimately did not transpire due to rain.

Brief scores: Australia 445 and 89/7 dec (Pat Cummins 22, Alex Carey 20 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 3-18, Akash Deep 2-28) draw with India 260 (KL Rahul 84, Ravindra Jadeja 77; Pat Cummins 4-81, Mitchell Starc 3-83) and 8/0 in 2.1 overs