Bad weather strikes again as third Australia-India Test ends in draw

BRISBANE, Australia: The third Test between Australia and India in Brisbane ended in a draw after storms halted the hosts’ bid for an unlikely win Wednesday to leave the series locked 1-1.

An early tea was taken at the Gabba because of bad light with India 8-0 after having been set a target of 275 for victory, after Australia declared on 89-7. But a big storm swept over the ground during the break and play was abandoned, with the five-Test series now heading to Melbourne and then Sydney.

The draw badly hurts India’s chances of making the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s next year, with Australia now likely to defend their title against South Africa. With rain causing regular disruptions throughout the Test, the chance of a result other than a draw looked to have disappeared when India avoided the follow-on late on Tuesday.

But Australia came out firing in their second innings to give themselves a chance to bowl the tourists out and take an unlikely victory. After losing most of the morning session, Australia began their second innings after lunch showing no signs of an attacking approach.

But once under-pressure openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney fell, along with the equally out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne, the Australian approach seemed to change as the batsmen started to attack every ball.

Khawaja, who turned 38 on Wednesday, came into the second innings after a run of poor form which has seen him not score a century since June 2023. He spanked two fours from the first over he faced from Mohammed Siraj, but it took the talismanic Jasprit Bumrah just one ball to get his man, the left-hander bowled off an inside edge that also clipped his pad.

Labuschagne was next to go after wafting at a wide ball from Bumrah and edging to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. The carnage continued when McSweeney played a cut shot off Akash Deep, edging to Pant to leave the Australians 16-3.

Deep had his second when Mitchell Marsh, promoted to bat at number four, also left his bat hanging and edging to Pant, with Australia staggering at 28-4. That became 33-5 when Steve Smith was well caught by a diving Pant down the leg side off Siraj for four.

Australia were obviously trying to set a target for the Indians to chase and Travis Head (17) fell going for quick runs, a wild slog off Siraj getting a top edge that flew skywards for Pant to come around for his fifth catch.

Skipper Pat Cummins came in and smashed 22 runs off just 10 balls before miscuing an attempted pull shot off Bumrah and holing out to KL Rahul at mid-off. He sent Mitchell Starc out but declared soon after.

India resumed the day on 252-9 in reply to the hosts’ 445 after a 10th-wicket partnership between Bumrah and Deep late Tuesday allowed them to avoid the follow-on. They were dismissed for 260 four overs into the first session when Deep was stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off part-time spinner Head.