India captain Rohit Sharma’s frustration over the boil on Day 3 of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane captured headlines after a fiery outburst at pacer Akash Deep. The incident occurred on the 114th over of Australia’s first innings, when Akash bowled a wayward delivery that went well outside the pitch. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant had to stretch to stop the ball from racing to the boundary for four byes.
Clearly incensed, Rohit’s agitation was captured on the stump mic as he yelled out, “Abbe sar mein kuch hai?” (Is there anything in your brain?). The comment came out to be an amused laughter in the commentary box but did indicate Rohit frustration at a crucial moment in the game.
Rain Interrupts India’s Struggle
Rain made the play end in less than three hours. Some comfort for India after the rather trying day on the field. India were in grave danger at 51/4 when the rain arrived once again to force early stumps. KL Rahul had a top score of 33 as skipper Rohit Sharma remained without an innings start yet.
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Rohit Sharma & Stump-mic Gold – the story continues… 😅#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 3rd Test, Day 3 LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/vCW0rURX5q
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 16, 2024
India’s top order failed to withstand the pressure when it was given the task of chasing 445 runs. The openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, were sent back by Australia’s pacers, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, in the early stages of the innings. Virat Kohli, too, failed to make a difference, and Rishabh Pant was dismissed by Australian skipper Pat Cummins, edging the ball to Alex Carey just before tea.
Only 2.5 overs were possible in the final session before rain and bad light brought an early close to proceedings.
The dominance of Australia was set up by stellar centuries from Travis Head and Steve Smith, taking full advantage of India’s struggles and exposing the team’s over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah for breakthroughs.
Bumrah was the standout performer for India, delivering figures of 6/76 in 28 overs. Mohammed Siraj contributed with two wickets, while Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy managed one each. However, Ravindra Jadeja, brought in to replace Ravichandran Ashwin, went wicketless, leaving a gap in India’s spin attack.
Can India Bounceback?
India needs a herculean effort to avoid the follow-on, which requires 245 runs. The top-order collapse has put an immense amount of pressure on the middle order to perform. With rain expected to play a role on the remaining days, Australia remains firmly in control.
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