Key events
3rd over: India 7-0 (Jaiswal 4, Rahul 3) The umpires had the light meters out before Starc rolled in for his first ball. But after that first 140kph delivery they’ve made the call that player safety is under threat so they have sent the players off. What a shame. This Test match just can’t take a trick. We will take an early tea instead.
2nd over: India 7-0 (Jaiswal 4, Rahul 3) Pat Cummins has the ball. Can he inspire something extraordinary? India need 270. Australia crave ten wickets in 53 overs. Clouds are gathering overhead as Jaiswal taps a single straight up. Rahul cops a peach from the Australian skipper which pitched on angled in on middle then straightened. KL watches a couple more then pounces on a full ball, pushing it for three past mid-off.
We have a substitute fielder on: Hugh Weibgen, who captained Australia to Under-19 World Cup glory last summer, and was among the tournament’s top-five run-scorers. Hugh hasn’t played domestic cricket yet but he’s now in the middle of a Test and loving it!
1st over: India 3-0 (Jaiswal 3, Rahul 0) Jaiswal is taking strike to Starc. He’s taken guard on leg stump and is a full yard out of his crease. Starc can’t extend his record of wickets with his first delivery as Jaiswal leaves the first two before pushing to long-on for three. Starc slides one past Rahul’s groping bat to send a warning on the final ball.
The lights are on at the Gabba, Australia are on the field and Pat Cummins and Steve Smith were straight in the ear of the umpire. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul bump fists before setting up camp. Starc has the new ball. Fascinating 54 overs ahead. Here we go!
Australia declare at 89-7 setting India 275 to win
There’s the declaration! Nathan Lyon was padded up to bat but it seems like Cummins feels 274 is a target too far in the 54 overs remaining today. Tantalising. The chase is on!
What do ya reckon? Will India risk losing this Test for a chance at winning it? Or will they be happy with the psychological scarring inflicted with the ball and use this final session-and-a-half as batting practice? I know Geoff Lemon swore black and blue this Test would end in a draw but I still get the shivers at the run chase Rishabh Pant mounted at this ground the last time India toured.
If you’ve got an opinion, a premonition or a weather prediction, do drop me a line at angus.fontaine.casual@theguardian.co.uk
18th over: Australia 89-7 (Carey 20, Starc 2) Cummins consulted Carey before walking off alone. No declaration yet, it seems. Starc strides out. He’s the archetypal ‘here for a good time not a long time’ batter so well suited to this sort of slugfest. He quickly clunks Bumrah down the ground but it catches the toe of the bat and runs for a single. Australia now lead by 274.
WICKET! Cummins c Rahul b Bumrah 22 (Australia 85-7)
Cummins holes out! India’s captain Rohit Sharma had seen enough. He called in Jasprit Bumrah to stop this madness and restore his side’s psychological advantage. Slower ball first up and Cummins took the bait and skied it. KL Rahul takes the catch.
17th over: Australia 85-6 (Carey 17, Cummins 22) Carey lashes at Siraj but miscues it and settles for a single. Cummins does better, flat batting it over mid-on for FOUR. The Australian captain is in a hurry. The next ball goes for SIX – his second in nine balls.
16th over: Australia 73-6 (Carey 16, Cummins 11) So Travis Head has left the building and he’s taken Geoff Lemon with him. Angus Fontaine here joining you as Pat Cummins tries to slog his first ball from Siraj all the way back to Penrith. After Carey’s single from the first, Cummins connects in a big way, driving Akash on the up for FOUR. He then goes on better, stepping back and clobbering a huge SIX over cow corner. A couple of singles makes it 13 from the over.
Geoff Lemon
15th over: Australia 60-6 (Head 14, Cummins 0) Cummins at the crease, for goodness sake. With Carey. Gets through the last two balls of the Siraj over. Australia lead by 245, there are 59 overs remaining if the weather somehow allows.
Stop emailing me about saying this would be a draw! It will still be a draw!
India have done real damage to Australia today, though. This is embarrassing. It will cause many justifiable questions to be asked much more sternly.
Time for me to go and breathe. Angus Fontaine is ready to take you through.
WICKET! Head c Pant b Siraj 17, Australia 60-6
And another one down, and another one down. Another one bites the dust. Pant is collecting catches in all sorts of ways today. He trousers another, this time a flapping top edge from Head that goes away towards third slip, and Pant trots underneath it.
Australia are six down! SIX, Jeremy!
14th over: Australia 56-5 (Head 14, Carey 13) Runs still coming for Head and Carey. Leg byes, doubles, singles, and Carey finishes the over with another smoked cover drive from Akash Deep. A dozen from it!
To come back to Mark’s question from earlier, about why do we have draws. I would say it’s because to earn a Test win, you have to actually beat a team, not just lead a team. If it was done on leading, nobody would declare, teams would bat to 900. But more importantly, spiritually I suppose, it’s a contest to completion. You mentioned boxing, this is like boxing that can only end by knockout. The draw retains interest, because it gives even an outmatched team something to play for. Otherwise, once they were behind, all interest and all hope would be gone.
13th over: Australia 44-5 (Head 13, Carey 6) Australia’s lead is 224, for those wondering. Make that 228! Siraj continues, and Carey rifles a cover drive. Shot. Gets off strike with a leg bye, and Head fiddles outside off, nearly nicking. Chatting with Siraj again as the bowler gets excited.
12th over: Australia 39-5 (Head 13, Carey 2) Travis Head doesn’t mind, just keeps on scoring. Throws the bat at a drive for two, a pull for one. Carey drives a couple, he likes to stay positive too.
11th over: Australia 33-5 (Head 9) Wicket last ball of the over. I repeat, only the draw is possible. Australia squeeze out a few more overs and India won’t have time to chase whatever the chase may be. It’s going to rain again, anyway. But my word, this is chaotic fun. What is going on with this Australian batting side?
WICKET! Smith c Pant b Siraj 4, Australia 33-5
What is going on? Another one falls, Smith one ball after smashing Siraj over mid on for four, falls the same way he keeps falling. Closed off, glancing down the leg side, and doesn’t challenge the call when he’s given. The tiniest murmur on Snicko.
10th over: Australia 28-4 (Head 9, Smith 0) Marsh nearly got bowled earlier in the over, Akash Deep getting a ball to move in and stay low. Then nicks off. Now Smith comes out, his first time batting at six since 2014.
“Geoff, do you think Australia are taking this seriously? Moving Marsh up, Khawaja smacking it around etc – are they just under instructions to have some fun?”
Maybe, Neil, but they’re not having fun anymore.
WICKET! Marsh c Pant b Deep 7, Australia 28 for 4
Oh my word, another one. Just a poke from Marsh, not a shot with any purpose behind it, outside the off stump with the ball doing a bit, and another nick through.
9th over: Australia 26-3 (Marsh 1, Head 8) Bumrah on fire, Australia shaking, so of course Travis Head comes in, smokes Bumrah through midwicket, then carves him through point. Two boundaries. Ok, Trav.
“Only a draw possible now? Are you forgetting collapses?” asks John McDougall, linking me to a scorecard where Ivory Coast got bowled out for 7. Well, yes, but even if Australia are all out in short order, India won’t chase 250-plus in a session.
8th over: Australia 16-3 (Marsh 0, Head 0) Retract that statement about luck: after the wicket ball, Deep has Head chop the ball past his stumps, then clough it just short of mid off. Where is Smith? Trying a new role batting at six? If they wanted to give Marsh a hit they could just have told him to wait five minutes, at this rate.
WICKET! McSweeney c Pant b Deep 4, Australia 16-3
Another one down! This time it’s McSweeney with the awkward cut shot, and Akash Deep gets some of the luck he didn’t get in the first innings. Seam movement, under edge, caught.
7th over: Australia 16-2 (McSweeney 4, Marsh 0) Make that 20 wickets at 10.75 in the series for Bumrah. The rest of India’s bowlers have 22 between them. And for some reason Marsh has come out ahead of Head and Smith.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Pant b Bumrah 1, Australia 15-2
There’s the other blow! The hammer falls, in the form of Bumrah. Can’t put that down to bowling genius, though. Bumrah does get extra bounce, but Labuschagne throws the bat once again. Got out cutting in Adelaide, cover driving first up here, and this time he hurls a cut shot at a line too close to his body. Top edge from the angled blade through to Pant. Gone for 1.
6th over: Australia 15-1 (McSweeney 4, Labuschagne 1) Off the mark, Labuschagne, as he gets a run from the inside half poking at Siraj.
5th over: Australia 14-1 (McSweeney 4, Labuschagne 0) In the series, 19 wickets at 11 for Bumrah! Gosh. McSweeney is trying to combat him by going on the walk, and nearly finds himself run out as Bumrah throws back at the stumps after gathering. Pant gives away a bye to let the Australians run an extra.
4th over: Australia 12-1 (McSweeney 3, Labuschagne 0) Siraj gets a much tidier over out of the way against McSweeney, one run from a defensive shot on the sixth ball.
3rd over: Australia 11-1 (McSweeney 2, Labuschagne 0) Scores of 8, 4, 13, 9 not out, and 8 for Khawaja in the series. Hmmmmm.
A blow struck by India there. And the chance for another against Marnus, who defends the last two balls.
WICKET! Khawaja b Bumrah 8, Australia 11-1
That’s not a birthday present! Bumrah, around the wicket again. Khawaja, on the hop again. Prodding, reaching for the ball, it seams in a little and takes some bat on its way to the stumps. Huge cheer from the small Indian contingent here, echoing around the otherwise empty Gabba. Trouble for Usman!
2nd over: Australia 10-0 (McSweeney 2, Khawaja 8) Positive start from Khawaja. Goes after Siraj first ball, smacking a wider one behind point for four. Then gets forward and drives four more past the bowler!
