Australia vs India: Hosts in control of third Test despite rain delays ending match early on day three | Cricket news

Australia managed just 17 runs to India on another rain-affected day in the third Test in Brisbane, but it was enough for their pace attack to dismantle India’s top order as they collapsed up to 51-4 to end the third day with 394 runs behind. the hosts

After Australia’s tail moved the bat a bit more to reach 445 in the early hours of Monday, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood quickly troubled India in a devastating opening spell at the Gabba.

Starc (2-25) took the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in his first two overs to set the tone, before Hazlewood (1-17) captured the prize wicket of Virat Kohli just before one of many rain showers early lunch with India at 10-3pm.

After removing Jaiswal (4) on the first ball of the innings in the second Test in Adelaide, Starc needed just two balls at the Gabba to get the tourists’ first wicket.

The 22-year-old edged the first ball through gully for a boundary, but the second he took a simple catch to Mitch Marsh at mid-off for a soft dismissal.

In his next over, Starc struck again with Marsh leaping acrobatically to take a two-handed catch at gully to remove Gill (1) and India were 7-2.

Hazlewood, back in the team after a side strain ruled him out of last week’s second Test, then rattled India further by sparking a lead from veteran Kohli to have India three down when the rain came started to fall and caused an early lunch.

On the resumption, skipper Pat Cummins (1-7) claimed his first wicket by removing Rishabh Pant caught behind to reduce India to 44-4.

Captain Rohit Sharma came out to join KL Rahul, but there was only time for an excellent cover-drive boundary for the latter before another bout of rain forced the players off the field.

As the wet weather leaves the third test

The rest of the afternoon saw the weather looking clear, but just as play looked set to resume, another downpour swept across the arena.

Play finally resumed shortly after 5pm local time, but only 17 more balls were bowled for three runs, before another spell of rain and deteriorating light forced an end to the day.

Australia have two days of play left, weather permitting, and their path to a possible win looks set to hinge on bowling India out for less than 244 in the first innings and enforcing the follow-on.

The hosts had resumed on Monday at 405-7 and some big knocks from Starc and Alex Carey lifted Australia to 445. Carey was the last wicket to fall, plunging into the deep for an enterprising 70 off 88 balls, his ninth half test. century

Jasprit Bumrah added one more wicket to return figures of 6-76, having completed his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests the day before.

India won the first Test by 295 runs in Perth, while Australia came back to win the second Day Test in Adelaide by 10 wickets.