IND vs AUS 3rd Test Live: India look to avoid follow-on against Australia

What a dramatic start to the day. Steve Smith drops a regulation catch at second slip to give KL Rahul, on 33, a life off the first delivery of the day from Pat Cummins. Australia skipper starts with a short of length delivery which was climbing across from the batter, but Rahul pokes it to get the outside edge. It could have been a perfect start for the hosts.

India 51/4 in 17.1 overs

All the players are in the middle to start the proceedings on a sunny morning at the Gabba.

KL Rahul on strike. Pat Cummins with the ball for Australia.

India 51/4 after 17 overs

Dangle the carrot outside off-stump, Virat Kohli will go for it and end up nicking to either the wicketkeeper or the extended slip cordon. There will be days when he will play and miss but more often than not, the ball ends up finding the edge of the bat.

For many, the channel outside off remains that 'corridor of uncertainty' but it has now become a certainty when the bowlers stand on top of their run up. A certainty that he will go after it. A certainty he will rarely shoulder arms. A certainty that he will look to plant the front foot and look for that drive through the covers region.

The shutterbugs lock their focus for the perfect shot but the frame off late has belonged to the bowler. Kohli has found different ways to react - look of disbelief, a wry smile, shake of the head - to similar modes of dismissals but he has failed to do anything differently to avoid those, and Monday was no different.

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh acknowledged on Monday that his gully fielding position causes him considerable anxiety, particularly due to Cameron Green's stellar reputation in that spot.

With Green absent from the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a spine injury, Marsh has adapted to the role adequately, as evidenced by his spectacular catch to dismiss Shubman Gill during the third day of the Third Test in Brisbane.

"Yeah, I think since I've come back into the Test team, fielding at gully is probably when I feel the most nervous because Green is likely to go down as one of the best ever. If you drop one there, you're always compared to him," Marsh stated at the post-day press conference.

India's dismal show in the ongoing Brisbane Test after a one-sided defeat in Adelaide has come under the scanner, but the team's vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah said they can't be "pointing fingers at each other", especially when the team is going through "transition".

Bumrah has been carrying the weight of the team on his shoulders in a one-man show that has seen him taking 18 wickets so far in the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy.

On day three of the Gabba Test in Brisbane, Bumrah completed a six-wicket haul to keep the visitors alive in the rain-hit third match of the series, which is currently level at 1-1. But the Indian batters continued to disappoint, slipping to 51 for 4 in response to Australia's first-innings total of 445, thanks to centuries by Travis Head (152) and Steve Smith (101).

When things don't go your way, frustration tends to creep in. This is exactly what happened with Rohit Sharma, as the Indian captain was seen losing his cool on Day 3 of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane on Monday.

As Australia frustrated India at the start of play, Rohit appeared visibly unhappy with pacer Akash Deep after he bowled a wayward delivery.

In the 114th over of Australia's innings, Akash's delivery landed outside the pitch, prompting Rishabh Pant to make a crucial effort to prevent it from reaching the boundary for four byes.

Rohit, visibly annoyed with Akash, shouted, "Abbe, sar mein kuch hai?". His remarks, caught on the stump mic, had the commentators in splits.

Legendary Australian batter Matthew Hayden on Monday offered struggling Indian skipper Rohit Sharma a unique piece of advice to regain his lost form — a simple two-word mantra.

The former Australian opener emphasised the importance of maintaining energy and intent under pressure, suggesting that Rohit use these "trigger words" as mental cues to stay composed and confident at the crease.

With Rohit facing scrutiny over inconsistent performances, Hayden's advice serves as a reminder that sometimes, the key to revival lies in simplifying the mental approach.

"When I think of Rohit Sharma, I think of a free-scoring batsman. You look at those double hundreds in one-day cricket, his magnificence in the short formats" Hayden told Star Sports.

Former Indian cricket coach Ravi Shastri has publicly supported former England cricketer Isa Guha following her apology for a comment made during the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match at The Gabba. Guha’s comment sparked discussions about unconscious bias and cultural sensitivity in sports commentary.

Shastri expressed his support for Guha during a Fox Cricket broadcast.

“Brave woman. To do it on live television and apologise takes some steel, and you heard it from the horse’s mouth. As far as I’m concerned, game over. People are entitled to make mistakes—we are all human—and in the heat of the moment, like you saw with the Siraj incident with Travis Head, sometimes, when you have a mic in your hand, things can happen. But to own up, to put your hand up and say, ‘I’m sorry if things have gone out of place,’ takes courage. She’s done it, so let’s move on.”

Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara on Monday questioned Virat Kohli's technique against the new ball following his dismissal in the ongoing Gabba Test.

Reflecting on the incident, Pujara noted that Kohli's approach may not be fully equipped to handle the challenges posed by fresh, moving deliveries.

While speaking on Star Sports, Pujara explained that the lacklustre performance of India's top-order batters has contributed to Kohli's modest showing in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

"We were discussing that he has been forced to play the new ball. He has gotten out whenever he has played the new ball. When he played the old ball, he scored a hundred in Perth. So that's also a very big point," Pujara said.

Former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath suggested that the Australian team should have confidence in their ability to dismiss India in the ongoing Test match at the Gabba, Brisbane. India's batting line-up has struggled throughout the series, failing to reach 200 runs in three of their four innings.

"Back in our day, we probably would've declared. Back yourself to knock them over. You've got to consider the rain," McGrath said.

Speaking on ABC Radio, McGrath criticised Australia's decision to continue batting, suggesting they should have declared earlier, particularly in light of potential rain interruptions.

He referred to past practices, indicating that during his era, they would have likely declared and forced India to bat before rain disrupted play.

With rain forecast for the remaining days, India's hopes of salvaging a draw have increased. The Gabba’s unpredictable weather has already disrupted two days of play, significantly reducing Australia's chances of forcing a result.

While the hosts remain in control, the curtailed overs and wet conditions have given India a potential lifeline to regroup and avoid defeat.

The Test's outcome now hinges on weather conditions, with both teams looking ahead to the next clash in Melbourne.

India's reply started disastrously, with Yashasvi Jaiswal flicking Starc's second delivery to square leg for an easy catch. Shubman Gill followed shortly, edging to gully off a full delivery, while Kohli's faint edge off Hazlewood ended his short stay. Rishabh Pant's dismissal for nine further dented India’s chances of avoiding the follow-on.

KL Rahul was the lone batter to show resilience, but India’s top-order collapse emphasized their vulnerability against quality pace bowling in testing conditions.

Resuming at 405/7, Australia added 40 runs on Day 3, finishing with a total of 445.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey played a pivotal role, scoring an enterprising 70 before falling to Akash Deep.

Jasprit Bumrah claimed six wickets for 76 runs, cleaning up the tail by dismissing Starc for 18. Mohammed Siraj contributed with the wicket of Nathan Lyon. The solid batting display by the hosts gave them a commanding lead, putting India under immense pressure.

Frequent rain delays and poor light hampered Australia’s efforts to capitalize on their strong position. Tea was called early due to a downpour, with further rain keeping players off the field for over two hours.

When play resumed, bad light restricted Australia to spin options, with Nathan Lyon and part-timer Travis Head bowling.

However, only 2.5 overs were bowled before the umpires called off play. The reduced overs frustrated the hosts, who had hoped to build on their first-innings dominance.

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood ripped through India's top order in the morning session, leaving the visitors reeling.

Yashasvi Jaiswal fell to Starc's second ball, caught by Mitchell Marsh, followed by Shubman Gill’s dismissal for one, thanks to a stunning catch by Marsh. Virat Kohli edged Hazlewood to the wicketkeeper for just three runs, compounding India's woes. Rishabh Pant was dismissed by Pat Cummins just before tea, leaving India struggling at 44/4.

KL Rahul fought valiantly, enduring a painful blow on his wrist but managing to hold his ground.

The third day of the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba was heavily impacted by rain, limiting play to just 33.1 overs.

India ended the day at 51/4, trailing by 394 runs, with KL Rahul unbeaten on 33 and skipper Rohit Sharma yet to score.

Persistent downpours saw players leaving the field seven times, frustrating both the crowd and the home team.

Australia's bowlers, despite limited opportunities, dominated with early breakthroughs.

More rain is forecast for days four and five, potentially giving India a chance to draw the Test. The series is tied at 1-1, with two matches remaining.