Day 4 of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is Tuesday, and with Australia down a bowler, Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy will try to avoid a follow-on.
India trailed by 278 runs at the end of lunch, managing to score 167/6. Jadeja and Nitish were undefeated, scoring 41 (77) and 7 (20), respectively.
Rahul approached the pitch with luck on his side when he batted with captain Rohit Sharma. Steven Smith, who was at the second slip, immediately gained a healthy edge from Rahul on the opening ball of the day.
Rahul swiftly looked back to observe the result of his hesitant shot as soon as the ball struck the bat. The ball didn’t stick in Smith’s hands even though he used both of them. The relief was evident in Rahul’s body language and face. Rahul captured the feeling that every Indian cricket fan was feeling at the time with a sigh of relief and a hand on his head.
Rahul’s long life allowed him to punish Australian bowlers with some mouthwatering cover drives. Rohit, however, made the cautious decision to proceed. He did not participate in deliveries that went through the fourth or fifth stump line.
But Rohit wasn’t as fortunate as his counterpart in the battle of the captains. When he attempted to press for a drive, his determination ultimately faltered. Rohit returned cheaply with 10(27) after edging it straight to Alex Carey with his feet planted firmly on the ground.
Rahul increased the stakes even after Rohit’s dismissal in order to relieve pressure on the Indian squad. With his 17th Test fifty, he gave supporters reason to celebrate.
Australia experienced their own worries when Josh Hazlewood was substituted out following the drinks break due to a suspected calf injury, while India lost their captain. Rain arrived to make its presence known for a short while, giving both teams enough time to decide how to proceed.
With Hazelwood out of action, Rahul opted to make the most of the chance, with Ravindra Jadeja playing second fiddle to him. With India aiming to finish the session with 150 runs scored, Australian bowlers began to give up runs.
But as Rahul attempted to cut the ball away from Nathan Lyon, the circle of life ended. Smith, who had dropped one, made a spectacular one-handed catch by leaping off the ground like a cat.
The counterattack was led by Nitish Kumar Reddy as Rahul stepped back with 84(13). Nitish wasted no time getting started with a superb drive to pick up a boundary.
India fought hard to avoid a follow-on, but Jadeja remained unfazed and showed off his ability to score runs with a clean sweep stroke against Lyon. With their undefeated 26-run partnership, the pair was able to end the session.