QUICK SINGLES

INDIAN SIX APPEAL

IT’S THE fantasy every player dreams about – getting off the mark in Test cricket with a six. Shardul Thakur (pictured), the Indian fast bowler whose stirring half-century revived Indian’s first innings, has joined the man he replaced, Rishabh Pant, as the only Indians to strike a six in their first scoring shot in Tests, a blazing hook off Pat Cummins over the deep backward square leg fence.

LYON MUST LIFT

NATHAN Lyon has had a modest series against India and his 100th Test is in danger of turning sour. Lyon has been one of cricket’s most destructive bowlers since he made his Test debut in August 2011. He started day three at the Gabba with 397 Test wickets – ahead of Ashes foes Stuart Broad’s 385 (103 Tests) and James Anderson’s 360 (93 Tests) in the same period of time. Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 377 wickets from just 74 Tests since his debut in November 2011.

STARC CONTRAST

MITCHELL Starc lost part of his venom at the Gabba ... and it appeared to be taken by Pat Cummins (pictured). After

36 overs it was Starc averaging 141.3km/h and Cummins 142.3km/h. But Cummins’ fastest ball was 150km/h compared to Starc’s 145.5km/h.

BORDER WAR

ALLAN BORDER has continued his crusade against cricket’s “archaic’’ rain rules. He says cricket officials should stop fretting over conditions being so wet that the ball gets unreasonably damaged. “If it gets too wet just replace it,’’ Border said on Fox Cricket.

SHARING BUNCH

WASHINGTON Sundar and Rishabh Pant shared much more than a 25-run partnership yesterday. “He (Sundar) is definitely using Rishabh Pant’s bat, the stickers have his initials on it,” Michael Slater noted on Channel 7. “I would say they’re his gloves he’s got on too.”