Australia vs India: Fight back, grit, courage and extreme patience have been the story of Indian cricket team ever since they faced the embarrassing loss in the Adelaide Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Australian openers Marcus Harris and David Warner survived six testing overs as the hosts finished Day 3 on 21 without loss, a lead of 54 runs with all 10 second innings wickets intact.
Another display of solid performance was seen in the ongoing fourth Test at The Gabba in Brisbane between Australia vs India. The Indian lower order showed bravery after they lost their first 6 wickets for 186.
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A pair of unlikely third-day batting heroes Sunday gave India a fighting chance of securing the draw they need in the fourth Test between Australia vs India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur, in just his second Test, put on 123 runs for the seventh wicket – a record for India at the Gabba — taking their team from a precarious 186 for six to 309 before Thakur was bowled by Pat Cummins for an entertaining 67.
Debutant Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur, who is playing his 2nd Test match, teamed up to get India to go past 300.
All-rounder Sundar, on debut, batted well with the tail until he guided a Mitchell Starc short ball to Cameron Green in the gully to fall for 62.
In the process, the duo put up a record partnership of 123 runs. When the stand touched 59 runs, it was already the highest 7th wicket partnership for an Indian pair at the Gabba. By doing that, they broke the 30-year-old record that was held by Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar in 1991.
By the time Mohammad Siraj was bowled by Josh Hazlewood, giving him figures of 5-57, India had reached 336, only 33 runs behind Australia’s first innings total of 369.
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Without Sundar and Thakur, India, would have been in far greater trouble against an Australia side who must win the match to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the four-match series locked at 1-1.
The last time India played at this venue, was during India’s 2014-15 tour of Australia when MS Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin had stitched a partnership of 57 runs in the 1st innings.
Past Stats Australia vs India, Highest 7th wicket partnership for India (vs Australia) at the Gabba
- 123 – Washington Sundar – Shardul Thakur (2021)
- 58 – Kapil Dev – Manoj Prabhakar (1991)
- 57 – MS Dhoni – Ravichandran Ashwin (2014)
- 49 – Manoj Prabhakar – Ravi Shastri (1991)
- 44 – M.L. Jaisimha – Bapu Nadkarni (1968)
The last time India’s numbers 7 and 8 scored half-centuries in same innings during an away game, was at Manchester in 1982, when Sandeep Patil had scored an unbeaten 129 while Kapil Dev made 65.
Sundar also became the second Indian player to hit a half-century on debut and take three wickets after Dattu Phadkar (51 & 3/14 vs Aus, SCG, 1947/48).
Australia vs India Start of Day 3
India’s top-order batsmen all squandered chances to score heavily, with all but Shubman Gill getting starts but all except Cheteshwar Pujara falling to rash shots.
The visitors began the extended morning session on 62 for two, with Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease.
Both men looked to keep the scoreboard ticking over, in contrast to Saturday afternoon, where they were more intent on survival.
They saw off Starc and Cummins but Hazlewood was introduced into the attack and produced a brilliant over which led to Pujara’s downfall.
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Hazlewood had Pujara in trouble when a short ball followed him as he tried to evade it, the ball hitting his glove and falling just short of Cameron Green in the gully.
Rahane and Mayank Agarwal steadied the ship but with the lunch break in sight, Rahane couldn’t resist playing at a wide ball from left-arm paceman Starc angling across his body and edged a comfortable catch to Matthew Wade at fourth slip.
The Indian captain, on 37, threw his head back in disgust at the manner of his dismissal before trudging off.
The Indians began the second session at 161 for four with the dangerous Agarwal and Rishabh Pant at the crease.
However, like Rahane, both Agarwal and Pant fell to injudicious shots.
Agarwal slashed at a wide delivery from Cummins’ second ball after the resumption to fall for 38, caught at second slip by Steve Smith.
Then to compound India’s problems, Pant did the same to Hazlewood, only to be caught in the gully by Green for 23.
At that stage Australia were in command of the Test but Sundar, playing his first Test, and Thakur, in his second, had other ideas and defied the bowling attack with a mixture of solid defence and attractive stroke making.
In the process, both Shardul and Sundar registered their respective half-centuries between Australia vs India and won praise from their regular captain, Virat Kohli, on Twitter. Kohli, who became a proud father of his newborn baby girl on January 11, tweeted, “Outstanding application and belief by @Sundarwashi5 and @imShard. This is what test cricket is all about. Washy top composure on debut and tula parat maanla re Thakur!”
Outstanding application and belief by @Sundarwashi5 and @imShard. This is what test cricket is all about. Washy top composure on debut and tula parat maanla re Thakur! 👏👌
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 17, 2021
Virat Kohli’s tweet on Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, wins internet with his Marathi.
Last 2 days between Australia vs India would be very crucial as both team would look to take the lead and win the Series.
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