Test rookies Sundar and Thakur post record stand as India put Australia on the back foot
India have given themselves a fighting chance of securing a draw in the deciding Test match against Australia, and retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, thanks to an unlikely pair of batting heroes.
Debutant 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 – to take the team from a precarious 186-7 to 309 before Thakur was bowled by Pat Cummins for an entertaining 67.
Sundar, who is more of a bowling all-rounder, batted well with the tail until he guided a Mitchell Starc short ball to Cameron Green in the gully to fall for 62. 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.
Australian openers Marcus Harris and David Warner survived six testing overs as Australia finished the third day on 21 without loss, a lead of 54 runs.
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. The four-match series is locked at 1-1.
The two smashed India’s previous seventh-wicket record at Brisbane of 58, set by Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar in 1991.
India’s top-order batsmen all squandered chances to score heavily. Except Shubman Gill, everyone got off to a steady start into double digits but fell to rash shots, barring Cheteshwar Pujara.
The visitors began the extended morning session on 62-2, 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.
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.
But two deliveries later Hazlewood got a ball to angle in, then straighten slightly to catch the outside edge of Pujara’s bat. Australia captain and wicketkeeper Tim Paine took a routine catch.
Rahane and Mayank Agarwal steadied the ship but with the lunch break in sight, Rahane could not 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 161-4 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 match but Test rookies Sundar and Thakur had other ideas and defied the bowling attack with a mixture of solid defence and attractive stroke-making.
The pair took the team from a precarious 186-7 to 309. India finished 33 runs behind Australia’s first innings total of 369