Day 1: Hurt by injuries and dropped catches, India somehow manage to stay afloat
Day 2: Of timing and intent – Rohit Sharma’s great gifts are also frustrating hurdles
Day 3: Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and the joy of unexpected, hard-fought success
Day 3: Shardul Thakur’s cricket is driven by his competitiveness
Day 4: Mohammed Siraj’s maturity shines through in Gabba five-for
Gavaskar: Cricket is a career option in India now. You could play just Ranji Trophy and make enough money. Earlier, you needed a job to do provide for your family.
Gavaskar: At the start of the tour, you probably would have said that maybe Gill will make his debut. There was a question mark over Pant or Saha... who would play. As far as Washington Sundar, T Natarajan or Shardul Thakur were concerned... they were not even in the frame.
1.34 pm: Rahane: “After Adelaide, we didn’t think about anything. We were not thinking about the win. Each and every individual did the job.”
1.34 pm: Rahane: “Clearly means a lot to us. I don’t know how to describe this in words. Really proud of each and every individual.”
1.34 pm: “I keep thinking every day that I want to win matches for India, and I did it today,” says Pant.
Ind 322/6 after 97 overs: FOUR and win it! Rishabh Pant has done it! India has done it! What a result! What a series! What madness! India win the series 2-1. Pant finishes with 89 and Australia have lost at the Gabba for the first time in 32 years.
Ind 322/6 after 96.4 overs: WICKET! Thakur falls. India still need 3 runs. The batsmen crossed over, Pant will be on strike. Thakur c Lyon b Hazlewood 2(3)
Ind 322/6 after 96.3 overs: Thakur runs through for two just after Pant skied one. India need 3 runs. Almost there. Almost there.
Ind 322/6 after 96.1 overs: FOUR! Pant hooks the short ball for four. India need 6 runs.
Ind 318/6 after 95.5 overs: WICKET! Washington bowled. Lyon gets him. Misses the reverse sweep. 22 from 29. He has played his part. India need 10 runs. Washington Sundar b Lyon 22(29)
Ind 313/5 after 95 overs: India need 15 runs to win. 5 overs left. Some luck but mostly a lot of pluck.
Ind 304/5 after 94 overs: India need 24 to win off 6 overs. What an over! 15 runs off it. Pant has 71, Washington has 21.
Ind 301/5 after 93.3 overs: Two consecutive fours by Pant off Lyon. A paddle and then a slog sweep. India need 31 to win.
Ind 289/5 after 93 overs: SIX!!! Washington Sundar hooks one from Cummins for six. What a shot! And then he follows it up with a four. Didn’t know much about it. But it went over the slips and towards third man. 7 overs left, India need 39 runs.
Ind 278/5 after 92 overs: 8 overs left in the game. 50 runs needed to win. So tight. This is a game that is truly going down to the wire. Don’t forget to breathe. Just a couple of singles in the Lyon over.
Ind 275/5 after 91 overs: A maiden over by Cummins. India need 53 runs to win. One big T20 kinda over could do it for India.
Ind 275/5 after 90 overs: Pant goes for the big shot, gets the leading edge, falls short of Green in the deep. Breathe. 53 runs needed. 10 overs left. Do it in singles.
Ind 273/5 after 89 overs: Nerves? What’s that. Washington with a lovely front-foot drive down the ground off Cummins. How good did that look!! Ooof. India need 55 runs to win.
Ind 267/5 after 88 overs: India need 61 runs. Pant... what will he do?
Ind 265/5 after 86.4 overs: WICKET! First, Australia lost a review. Mayank didn’t hit that. Nothing on the hotspot or the snicko. Cummins continues to run in, continues to trouble the batsman... just what does he run on. And then, Mayank goes for the big shot, couldn’t clear the fielder. Agarwal c Wade b Cummins 9(15)
Ind 265/4 after 86 overs: India need 63 runs to win. Pant swept one for four in the Lyon over. He is going to attack the loose balls.
Australia haven’t lost at the Gabba in 32 years. Can India break the streak?
Ind 259/4 after 85 overs: Mayank with a love straight punch down the ground for four. India need 69 runs to win. 15 overs left in the match. 90 balls, 69 runs, 6 wickets. Time for a drinks break.
Ind 254/4 after 84 overs: Pant continues to drive the ball when it it pitched up. This isn’t mad batting. He has been rather smart about it. 50 off 100 balls. A quick single gets him there.
Ind 248/4 after 83 overs: Everyone thinks Pant is playing a mad knock but he’s actually got 46 off 94. SR of 48.94. Still playing his shots. 80 runs needed to win. 17 overs left in the innings.
Ind 241/4 after 82 overs: 18 overs left in the day, India need 87 runs to win. Australia need “one false shot”.
Ind 232/4 after 81 overs: Mayank Agarwal is used to facing the new ball. Right? Will India continue to push for a win? 19 overs left in the day.
Ind 228/4 after 80.2 overs: WICKET! Cummins strikes right away. Traps Pujara LBW. The review doesn’t help, comes down to umpire’s call. A brave, brave effort comes to an end. Meanwhile, another twist in the tale? Pujara lbw b Cummins 56(211)
Ind 228/3 after 80 overs: 100 runs to win and the second new ball is now available. Here we go. Again.
It is raining at the Gabba too. The players are still staying out there. The sun is shining too.
Ind 227/3 after 79 overs: 21 overs left in the day. India need 101 runs. One over to go for the new ball – last throw of the dice.
Ind 224/3 after 78 overs: Pant plays out a maiden over from Lyon. He did nothing on the last ball and that is rare.
Ind 224/3 after 77 overs: One appeal. One four. Starc’s line just hasn’t been right. Second new ball around the corner. Could mean wickets. Could also mean quick runs. Everything on the line... everything still on the line. India need 104 runs to win.
Ind 219/3 after 76 overs: A single off the last ball. Pant always looks to do something off the last ball. Went for the big shot but only got a single.
Ind 218/3 after 75 overs: 25 overs left in the match. India need 110 runs to win.
Ind 213/3 after 73 overs: 50 for Pujara and he gets there with a four off Labuschagne. His 28th in Test cricket. His slowest. But once again, so valuable. Bruised and battered but still there.
Ind 213/3 after 73 overs: India need 115 to win. Pant (31 off 57) going well. Pujara proving to be a wall. Australia are nervous here. Very nervous.
Ind 209/3 after 72 overs: Eight runs from the over. Starc is expensive again. Pant standing up tall and cutting him for four in that over.
Ind 201/3 after 71 overs: Last ball of the over... SIX! Pant smashes that. He isn’t just going to let Lyon bowl. He takes his chances. India need 127 more runs to win.
Ind 194/3 after 70 overs: A single off the first ball and then Pant quietly plays five balls. No adventure.
Ind 194/3 after 69 overs: Australia’s defensive approach coming back to hurt them. India get four bye to third man off the last ball from the Lyon over. Tough stumping chance but certainly a chance. Pant gets away with it. Phew.
10.52 am: To truly understand how DRS works, you need to read this. Ian Taylor, Managing Director of Virtual Eye, talks about the protocols in place for DRS and how it can be improved, especially pertaining to LBW decisions.
‘Take reviews out of players’ hands, cricket needs a separate DRS-trained umpire’
Ind 189/3 after 68 overs: Australia have a spread out field for Pant and Nick Knight, in the commentator’s box, makes a point about what they need to attack more. It just might make him want to go for the big shot more.
13 overs to the second new ball...
Ind 184/3 after 67 overs: Lyon hasn’t been at his best all series but one good session could change all that. Australia need him to step up.
Ind 183/3 after 66 overs: Steady, steady, steady. Pujara is going to play his own game and he should continue to do that. Let Pant do his thing but Pujara should stick to his own guns.
Ind 183/3 after 65 overs: Lyon vs Pant is going to be quite the battle. The left-hander will look to take him on before too long. India need 145 runs to win.
Ind 183/3 after 64 overs: Hazlewood to start things off. Not too much short stuff. But here we go.
The last session of a magnificent series is all set to begin. 37 overs more to go. 145 runs needed for India. 7 wickets for Australia. A draw will mean the series is shared 1-1 but India will retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy. A win will see India win the series. Australia will be up for it. Phew.
Weather update:
Ind 183/3 after 63 overs: And that is tea. A riveting session of Test cricket. India still in with a chance to win this. Australia still in with a chance to win this. Perfect.
In the session: 25 overs, 100 runs, 2 wickets
Ind 183/3 after 62 overs: Last 10 overs, 44 runs. India making sure Australia say on the defensive a bit. The runs are important too.
Ind 180/3 after 61 overs: India need 148 runs to win. Australia need 7 wickets. If Pant gets in, who knows... Is it okay to dream?
Ind 175/3 after 60 overs: A maiden over but almost a mix-up between Pujara and Pant. Pujara got back in time but he needed a dive to do so.
Ind 175/3 after 59 overs: India going for the win? The intent isn’t the problem but they need to be careful with their shot selection.
Ind 173/3 after 58 overs: Pant sent in ahead of Mayank. A different game begins. He isn’t going to hold back either.
Ind 167/3 after 56.5 overs: WICKET! The visions of grandeur perhaps blinded Rahane. Tried to guide it over the slip cordon and only edged it through to Paine. Rahane c Paine b Cummins 24(22)
Cummins coming back into the attack now.
Ind 163/2 after 56 overs: Rahane has come out playing shots. A six off Lyon now. He does not want the off-spinner to set into a good rhythm on a wearing pitch.
Ind 156/2 after 55 overs: The line of attack to Rahane is different. Hazlewood pitching it up and getting a couple to beat the batsman.
Ind 153/2 after 54 overs: Four off the last ball off Lyon’s over. Pujara just standing tall, absorbing everything the Aussies are throwing at him and then giving some back for good measure.
Ind 148/2 after 53 overs: Australia continue to pepper Pujara with the short ball and one of those balls takes the edge of the bat and flies over the slips cordon. This is a brutal examination. India need 180 runs to win.
Ind 138/2 after 50.5 overs: Pujara takes another blow. This time on the helmet. He has been given a proper working over by the Aussie attack. But he is still there in the middle.
Ind 133/2 after 50 overs: Review lost! Australia review after another ’no-shot-offered’ appeal against Pujara. DRS shows it would have bounced over the stumps.
Ind 132/2 after 49 overs: Pujara got hit on the fingers again. This time by Hazlewood. He was hurting badly and the physio had to come back on the field.
Ind 132/2 after 48 overs: WICKET! The change works for Australia. Gill edges one to first slip. Wrong choice of shot but what an innings! Gill, take a bow. Shubman Gill c Smith b Lyon 91(146)
Starc has been hit out of the attack. Lyon comes on.
Ind 128/1 after 47 overs: A single in the over and India now need 200 runs to win.
Ind 127/1 after 46 overs: What an over!! Gill and Pujara giving a wayward Starc the treatment to get 20 runs from the over (0 6 4 N4 1 0 4). A six and two consecutive fours for Gill and then a four for Pujara off the last ball. Is this the over that kickstart India’s run towards a win? In 12 overs, Starc has given away 62 runs.
Ind 107/1 after 45 overs: Pujara continues. He won’t give in. For all you know, the short balls will only serve to make him even more determined (if that is possible at all).
Injury break: Pujara gets hit on the arm by a short ball from Hazlewood. Physio on the field. He is hurting.
Ind 106/1 after 44 overs: Two fours in Starc’s last two over. Both for Pujara. He is now motoring along. 19 off 111 balls. The stand with Gill is now worth 88(215).
Ind 102/1 after 43 overs: Australia might be overdoing the short stuff. Almost a one-dimensional feel to it now. But the odd ball does do something.
Ind 100/1 after 42 overs: Pujara gets his first boundary off the 103rd ball he’s faced in the innings. He continues to soldier on. Starc still not looking anywhere close to his best.
Ind 95/1 after 41 overs: Cummins continues and he continues to look dangerous. The Indian batsmen *have to* play out his spell.
Ind 93/1 after 40 overs: Gill almost fell into the trap. He pulled one short ball for four but the next one was a little bit higher. He got the top edge and it just cleared the fielder in the deep. Gill now has 72. Pujara moves onto 9.
Ind 85/1 after 39 overs: Cummins to start things off after lunch. Batsmen need to reset. An early wicket will give Australia a push too.
Players are back on the field. It is time for the post-lunch session. Will Australia strike back or will India continue to move the game forward? Gill has been magnificent and so had Pujara. Here we go.
Ind 83/1 after 38 overs: And that is lunch. Gill has been magnificent and so has Pujara. India have done well... very well. Australia came hard at them but India’s batsmen have stuck in there. The sun is out. The rain has kept away.
In the session: 36.1 overs, 79 runs, 1 wicket, RR 2.18.
Ind 76/1 after 37 overs: The short-ball barrage from Cummins continue. Pujara not looking very comfortable in the middle but then who would?
Ind 71/1 after 36 overs: Starc back into the attack as Australia look to pursue a short-ball strategy against Pujara.
Ind 70/1 after 35 overs: No runs and some pretty mean bouncers from Cummins. Pujara getting hit on the body. The bouncers seem to be following Pujara, making it difficult to avoid them.
Ind 70/1 after 34 overs: Made over by Lyon, who is trying a few things. Going round the wicket, coming back over. Gill has looked comfortable against the offie.
Ind 70/1 after 33 overs: First time we have seen the pitch misbehave today. It reared up off a good length but Pujara played it well. Then, another bouncer hit Pujara on the helmet. Cummins makes things happen. Time for a concussion test but Pujara is okay to continue.
Ind 68/1 after 32 overs: Another two runs off Lyon to bring up the fifty-run stand between Gill and Pujara. Pujara’s contribution to the stand is 6. But everyone is doing the job for the team. They all have their own ways.
Ind 66/1 after 31 overs: Cummins starts his second spell of the day off with a maiden. He has given nothing away.
Cummins coming back into the attack.
Ind 66/1 after 30 overs: Lyon with a maiden. Australia haven’t really been able to build any pressure today. The pitch hasn’t done much either.
Ind 66/1 after 29 overs: Gill gets to a classy fifty and chants of ‘India, India’ ring out at the Gabba. 50 off 91. He has looked good (as he almost always does). Two fifties in three Tests for him.
Ind 61/1 after 28 overs: Another lovely four for Gill. He continues to impress. Lyon moving his line to his regular ‘outside the offstump’ space now.
Ind 56/1 after 27 overs: Shane Warne in commentary reckons Australia are not being aggressive enough with their fields. “Just one wicket in the morning.”
Ind 55/1 after 26 overs: One single to long-on. Gill has moved on to 42. Pujara on 6.
Ind 54/1 after 25 overs: Hazlewood begins his second spell with a maiden over.
Hazlewood back into the attack.
Ind 54/1 after 24 overs: A maiden over from Lyon.
Ind 54/1 after 23 overs: One lovely, glorious cover drive by Gill for four. He does make batting look easy. So elegant. The highlight of the over.
Ind 49/1 after 22 overs: Pujara definitely seems more comfortable against spin. Gill doing his thing. The duo have put on 31 off 82 balls.
Ind 47/1 after 21 overs: Pujara driving a bowler through the covers is always a good sign. And he did that to Starc. A bit too full.
Time for a drinks break. The sun is peeking out. The effect of the roller will start to wear off now. The first hour is over and India have lost just Rohit Sharma.
Ind 44/1 after 20 overs: Four off the first ball and then nothing. Lyon more willing to attack the stumps today, seems to be bowling straighter.
Ind 40/1 after 19 overs: Starc continues. One run from the over. Working up decent speeds.
But was that really ‘no shot offered’??
Ind 39/1 after 18 overs: One run from the Lyon over and a review was taken and retained too. Pujara didn’t offer a shot, Australia reviewed and it came down to umpire’s call. So close.
Nathan Lyon into the attack.
Ind 38/1 after 17 overs: Starc working up some good pace. Up to 145 clicks now. But Hazlewood and Cummins exert a different kind of pressure.
Ind 37/1 after 16 overs: Seven runs from the Green over. Gill pouncing on a loose delivery to get four runs and then another three runs.
Ind 30/1 after 15 overs: Pujara is off the mark. It has taken him 22 balls to do so. Decent over from Starc, starting to bowl at over 140 clicks towards the end of the over.
Starc into the attack now.
Ind 27/1 after 13 overs: Another maiden over. If Green can keep doing this, he will allow Paine to really attack from the other end.
Ind 27/1 after 13 overs: Maiden over from Cummins to Gill.
Ind 27/1 after 12 overs: Green started off by straying onto the pads and Gill helped himself to three but then settled into a better line with Pujara on strike.
Green into the attack. Starc is struggling with a hamstring injury.
Ind 24/1 after 11 overs: Pujara doing Pujara things. He will take his time. 0 runs from 10 balls. Cummins bowling well at him.
Ind 24/1 after 10 overs: Some width from Hazlewood and Gill throws his hands at it. Gets four. He shouldn’t get too passive or he will start to feel more pressure. Not everyone is a Pujara.
Ind 18/1 after 8.1 overs: WICKET! It is that man Cummins again. Rohit Sharma would have felt he needed to play at it. Got the edge through to the keeper. Rohit c Paine b Cummins 7(21)
Ind 18/0 after 8 overs: Hazlewood still searching for the best line and length. One run from the over.
Ind 17/0 after 7 overs: Pat Cummins comes up with a gem to beat Shubman Gill. Seems to be operating in a good rhythm. But the ball hasn’t done much. India’s openers look calm... for now.
Ind 17/0 after 6 overs: Steady stuff by India. No big appeals. No false shots played yet. The effect of the roller will still be there.
Ind 14/0 after 5 overs: Hazlewood slowly zoning in on the right areas. He hasn’t got much movement in the air or off the pitch yet. Cummins trying to find the right length too.
Ind 11/0 after 4 overs: Australia have started with Hazlewood and Cummins. Starc does have the hamstring issue to contend with but these two have been their best bowlers. Rohit Sharma and Gill will look to get through the initial period.
Ind 4/0 after 2 overs: And here we go. India needs to put the rain out of their mind and just bat. The pitch should be okay initially but it was playing some tricks yesterday. Still, it was possible to bat.
4.55 am: The all-important weather update. It seems like things have cleared up.
4.50 am: Ahead of Day 5, Shardul Thakur: “Ajinkya Rahane didn’t say much.” That said, India are backing themselves.
Day 4 review: Mohammed Siraj took his first five-wicket haul in just his third Test as India bowled Australia out for 294 to set up an enthralling final day of the four-match series in Brisbane on Monday.
With the series locked at 1-1, India need 328 runs for victory or to bat all day for a draw to pull off the remarkable feat of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite being severely weakened by injuries and captain Virat Kohli’s paternity leave.
Siraj had Josh Hazlewood caught on the boundary to end Australia’s innings and return figures of 5-73 as clouds formed over the Gabba. Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill then faced just 11 balls, reaching four without loss, before light rain ended play.
Siraj and fellow quick Shardul Thakur (4-61), playing only his second Test, were exceptional as they kept the Australian scoring rate largely under control while taking wickets at regular intervals.
“It was my dad’s dream that I should play for India, that the whole country will watch his son play,” said Siraj, whose father died in November.
“How I wish he was here today with me, he would have been very happy. It is thanks to his blessings that I could take five wickets today. I am speechless, I am unable to speak about my performance.”
Although most of the Australian batting order got starts, only Steve Smith converted and even he fell for 55 when surprised by a Thakur short ball.
Australia need to win to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but, with more rain forecast for Tuesday, India will fancy their chances of surviving for the draw.
The highest run-chase to achieve victory at the Gabba is the 236 that Australia scored to beat the West Indies in 1951.
But as India have shown since their disastrous capitulation in the first Test in Adelaide, when they were bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest.
They came back and won the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, and then batted for more than a day to draw Sydney’s third Test.