Australia persisted in its efforts to secure a win in the Brisbane Test during a shortened second session on the fourth day. Only 13.2 overs were played between Lunch and Tea, during which India scored 34 runs but lost Nitish Reddy. The visitors remain 45 runs short of the target that would require Australia to bat again, a scenario they hope will consume additional time as they aim to salvage the Test match.
To accomplish the initial goal, Ravindra Jadeja (65*) will need to play a pivotal role alongside the three fast bowlers. In his first Test series, Jadeja faced little difficulty with the softer Kookaburra ball, forming partnerships of 67 and 53 with KL Rahul and Nitish Reddy, respectively. Following a delayed resumption after lunch, he reached his half-century with a beautifully executed on-drive for four, complemented by another boundary that resulted from the ball merely grazing his thigh pad before reaching the fine-leg boundary.
After 2.5 overs of play, rain interrupted the match, leading to a delay of 67 minutes. Upon resumption, Jadeja and Reddy skillfully faced a challenging spell from Mitchell Starc. However, when Pat Cummins returned, he quickly made an impact by inducing a tentative shot from Reddy, resulting in an inside edge that hit the stumps. Mohammed Siraj experienced some tense moments at the crease before another rain interruption prompted the umpires to call for Tea.
In the morning session, which consisted of 32 overs, India scored 116 runs at a rate of 3.74 runs per over, significantly aided by a 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Rahul and Jadeja. Rahul, who was fortunate to survive a dropped catch by Smith on the first ball of the day, played a largely smooth innings, reaching 84 runs before being dismissed by an exceptional piece of fielding from the same player who had previously let him off the hook at 33.
India’s overnight batsman Rohit Sharma was dismissed during Pat Cummins’ challenging opening spell of five overs. The Australian captain effectively exploited Rohit’s weight transfers by delivering a sharp short ball, followed by a fuller delivery that was not quite full enough for a drive. Recognizing a rare chance to score, Rohit attempted to play the ball but ended up edging it to the wicketkeeper.
Aside from an initial error, Rahul displayed no further mistakes, consistently making sound decisions as he positioned himself effectively with his technique. He selectively targeted only the fuller deliveries for his shots, preferring the square drive over the more expansive option toward extra cover. Rahul patiently awaited straighter deliveries from the bowlers, which he adeptly flicked, tucked, or on-drove. As has been typical in Australia this summer, the partnership between Rahul and Jadeja became more productive once the Kookaburra ball exceeded 30 overs. With a confident Jadeja alongside him, Rahul surpassed the 50-run mark and smoothly approached a century before an attempted cut shot off Lyon was caught by the agile Smith, concluding a promising 67-run partnership.
India has scored 201 runs for the loss of 7 wickets, with KL Rahul contributing 84 runs and Ravindra Jadeja remaining not out on 65. Pat Cummins took 3 wickets for 49 runs. They are trailing Australia, who posted a total of 445 runs, highlighted by Travis Head’s 152 and Steve Smith’s 101, while Jasprit Bumrah claimed 6 wickets for 76 runs. India is behind by 244 runs.
