‘There was a desperation’: Australia admit victory unlikely after India avoid follow-on

Australian bowling coach Daniel Vettori says his side would have enforced the follow-on had they not been on the receiving end of a remarkable and potentially match-defining last-wicket stand between Indian tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep that has all but ruined the home side’s chances of victory in the third Test in Brisbane.

An obstinate and unbeaten 39-run partnership for the last wicket helped India avoid the prospect of the follow-on and made the draw by far the most likely result at the Gabba.

This venue was the scene of India’s famous series win in 2021 and there was no shortage of drama on Tuesday as the tourists’ tail hung on to deprive Australia of the chance to enforce the follow-on against India for the first time in 23 years.

Australia’s early hopes of claiming a 2-1 series lead dissipated with every Indian run either side of four further frustrating rain relays on day four.

Play was called off for bad light at 5.51pm local time, with India at 9-252, still trailing Australia by 193 runs.

However, the audacious batting of No.10 Bumrah (10 from 27 balls) and No.11 Deep (21 from 31 balls) dragged India to within 200 runs of Australia, meaning Pat Cummins’ side would have to bat in the third innings on Wednesday.

A frustrated Pat Cummins leads his team off at stumps.Credit: Getty Images

“I think the only way to force the game was to force the follow-on,” Vettori told reporters after play. “There was a desperation to get that final wicket. We thought we had a really good chance when Jadeja was dismissed, but it was a real fighting partnership from Bumrah and Deep.

“Unfortunately, just the amount of time that’s been lost from the game has made it difficult [to force a result].”

Cricket’s archaic and often counter-intuitive rules came to the fore when players walked from the field just two balls after Deep had smashed a huge six over mid-wicket to the delight of Indian fans. Within seconds, umpires deemed that the light wasn’t fit for play.

When the visitors moved within 200 runs of Australia’s first-innings total, thereby avoiding the follow-on, Indian supporters celebrated like they’d won the Test.

The major news of the day was Hazlewood’s calf injury that left Australia a bowler short for 47.5 overs. The right-armer sent down six balls before walking off the field at the end of a drinks break with physiotherapist Nick Jones.

The clues could be seen in Hazlewood’s bowling speeds during his one over; 128km/h, 132.1, 129.5, 128.9, 129.3 and 131.2. He is generally in the high 130s and was struggling to make an impact.

With Hazlewood effectively ruled out of the series – Cricket Australia said it was “likely” he would not feature in Melbourne or Sydney in the fourth and fifth Tests – Australia’s bowlers still had a job to do. Even Mitch Marsh was required to bowl a couple of overs.

The last time a team enforced the follow-on in a Test against India was in 2011 at the Oval in London after England’s Ian Bell (235) and Kevin Pietersen (175) made big hundreds.

Deep trouble: Akash Deep helped to save India from what looked like a certain follow onCredit: AP

Australia last did it against India in Kolkata in 2001, and ended up losing the match made famous by VVS Laxman’s 281 and Rahul Dravid’s 180 in the third innings.

The contexts of that match, in which India ended Australia’s 16-match winning streak, and this fixture in Brisbane were vastly different.

Simon Katich was asked on SEN Radio whether he would enforce the follow-on if he had been Australian skipper.

“Can I say shit yeah?” Katich said, prompting laughs in the commentary box. “We’re trying to win a Test. Get up, boys. I used to love enforcing the follow-on in Sheffield Shield cricket.”

A barrage of short-pitched bowling from Cummins (4-80 from 20.5 overs) and attempts from Nathan Lyon around the wicket to lure Bumrah and Deep out of their crease came to no avail.

It was India’s highest last-wicket partnership from their past 29 innings, stretching back to 2022 when Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj combined for 41 runs against England.

Australia’s desire to set the tone on day four fell flat as Steve Smith dropped the simplest of catches at second slip off the first delivery of the morning.

Cummins is usually an unflappable figure on the field, but even he gave Smith some side-eye as the vice-captain put down a catch off KL Rahul’s bat that came at a perfect height and pace.

Rahul, who was on 33 at the time, batted for another 25.3 overs to make Australia rue the missed opportunity before Smith made amends with a brilliant diving catch at first slip off Nathan Lyon to dismiss the batter for 84.

It made up for the earlier dropped catch, but Smith’s animated celebration indicated he’d been stewing on it for some time.

Australia chipped away in the field as No.7 Ravindra Jadeja made the most of his recall by making an important 77 before holing out to Mitch Marsh in the deep.

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