🏏Australia vs India, 3rd Test: Brisbane, 14 - 18 Dec 2024, Day 5 🏏 - Page 2

Quotes

"Worked out in the Adelaide Test. It's always in the back of your mind as a Plan B, or if it's looking really uncomfortable or likely to take wickets maybe it becomes a Plan A to some of the batters. I'm sure we'll give it a shot at some point this Test."

Pat Cummins on using the short ball against India's batters

Thank you, Raji, for the thread and for tagging me.

India has to win this to make this series interesting.

The onus will be on the Indian batting line-up as they take on Australia in the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday (December 14) in a do-or-die situation. With the series locked at 1-1, Rohit Sharma's men will need to win the remaining three Tests to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Baring the second innings in the first Test in Perth, the Indian batting looked a distant shadow of what they actually are on paper. While the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill let go their starts, Virat Kohli was undone by extra bounce, Rohit's idea of coming down the order at No.6 didn't help the visitors much.

In Brisbane, the India is likely to open the batting with Rahul coming down at no.5. Among the spinners, Ravindra Jadeja's inclusion looks certain as he gives batting dept while pacer Harshit Rana is expected to make way for Akash Deep.

On the other hand, Australia made one change in their playing XI from Adelaide with Josh Hazlewood making his way back from injury, replacing Scott Boland.

India had an optional training session at The Gabba on Friday with only Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill featuring for the visitors. Rohit Sharma didn't come.

What happened when India played here last time?

The last time India played at this venue in 2021, the visitors broke a 33-year-old drought to win a Test match at The Gabba. Can India do the same this time?

Australia confirm once change

Australia have already announced their only change with Scott Boland making way for Josh Hazlewood, who missed in the second Test. For India, there are a couple of changes expected.

How the series have gone so far

India started the series on a resounding note with a 295-run win over in the first Test in Perth. Australia bounced back with a 10-wicket win in Adelaide. It's a do-or-die situation for the Indian team who need to win the remaining three Tests to qualify for the WTC final.

thanks for the tag. All the best to team india.

Will catch the score when i get up cant wake up at 2am to watch the match

'We will treat it as a three-match series'

With the series now tied at 1-1, India will now treat this as a three-match Test series, according to Shubman Gill. Speaking ahead of the third Test at the Gabba, a nostalgic Gill also confirmed that Rohit Sharma didn't attend the practice session since it was an optional one.

"Definitely very nostalgic when I came here," Gill said on his return to the venue where his 91 set up India's famous win on the 2020-21 tour. "The whole team was coming and just walking to the stadium again after 2021 win, felt very nostalgic.

"Adelaide Test, we didn't do well but the series is still 1-1. We will treat it as a three-match Test series and if we win this one, we will have advantage going into Melbourne and Sydney."

On his own form, Gill admitted that not being on strike for a brief period contributed to his downfall in the first innings in Adelaide and picking the pink ball under lights proved to be a problem as well. " One of the challenges is whether you can play the game you want to play, irrespective of what's happening at the other end and irrespective of scorecard. I faltered in the first innings because of what happened at the other end and I take that upon myself. And there was a period when I didn't face much - may be one ball in four overs and then when I faced a delivery I missed a completely fuller ball. These are challenges you face. You might not face a ball for four overs or you might end up facing 18 balls on the trot.

"In a pink ball game, it is a little bit harder to gauge the seam from the hand of a bowler, especially when you are playing at night. We are a bit more used to playing with the red ball during the day than the dynamics of a pink ball test, we don't play as much."

On the challenges of playing Test cricket in Australia, Gill pointed out that maintaining the intensity over five days is quite difficult in this part of the world. "I think the intensity at which the games are played here, especially Test matches is one of the most difficult things," Gill noted. "To be able to maintain that intensity throughout the course of five days is what makes touring Australia so difficult, and I think more than anything it is the mental intensity and the mental fitness that is required here in Australia, especially here (Gabba)."

Hello and welcome to the opening day of the third Test between Australia and India from the Gabba in Brisbane. The series is locked at 1-1. Australia stormed back into the series with a 10-wicket win in Adelaide. What is in store this week?

It's an overcast day with a threat of showers and storms during the day. The covers have been lurking next to the square just in case but it's fine for now. The pitch has certainly lost some of the greenness from a few days ago. Gautam Gambhir, India's coach, has just had a close look at the surface. We are expecting another big crowd. Queues were building outside the Gabba more than two hours before the start of play."