When day five of the rain-interrupted third Test in Brisbane begun it was obvious that one team was hurtling towards victory if the weather was kind.
It turned out that team was not necessarily Australia.
They were in a position of dominance for four days but India fought back to rattle the home side’s top order and would have been a puncher’s chance of victory before the inclement weather finally killed off any chance of a result.
Australia’s top order collapsed yet again as they slumped to 3-16 before they motored to 7-89 to set up a declaration target for India of 275 at five an over but they only reached 0-8 before bad light then rain ruined the final day at the tea interval.
Both teams will head to MCG for the Boxing Day Test with the series level at 1-1 and glaring issues to sort out over the course of the next week.
Australia have four members of their top six averaging under 17 for the series while India’s batters are collectively struggling but are being saved by Jasprit Bumrah’s phenomenal bowling exploits.
Marnus Labuschagne (16.4), Nathan McSweeney(14.4), Mitchell Marsh (13.8) and Usman Khawaja (12.6) have become walking wickets rather than reliable run-getters.
Uzzy worth another chance?
Khawaja endured a 38th birthday to forget in the middle of the Gabba, continuing his run of outs to fuel further speculation about his place in the team.
He looked like the Khawaja of old in the first over he faced from Mohammed Siraj, cutting then driving him to the off-side boundary.
Then he looked like old Khawaja from the first ball he faced from Bumrah, his top hand coming off the handle as he inside-edged the world’s premier bowler onto off stump.
With teenage prodigy Sam Konstas blasting boundaries in the BBL for the Sydney Thunder after an impressive start to the Sheffield Shield season with NSW, the national selectors need to seriously consider whether it’s time to rejuvenate the Test team by replacing Khawaja with someone half his age.
Khawaja has been a champion player for Australia for a long time and if you are naming a Good Blokes XI from current players, he would like be the captain but goodwill only gets you so far and his production with the bat in 2024 has been poor and downright abysmal in this series – 63 runs from six knocks with a top score of just 21.
Top order a shambles
Khawaja’s eight turned out to be the best second-innings tally of the top four with opening partner McSweeney (four), Labuschagne (one) and Marsh (two) also going cheaply.
McSweeney and Labuschagne were neither forward nor back as they wafted outside off stump and along with Khawaja, they are no guarantee to retain their place for the next match.
The selectors can have no confidence in any of the top three to produce runs in Melbourne based on the first three matches of the series.
Former Test opener Matthew Hayden on Seven commentary that the old adage that it’s harder to get out of the team than in it will probably be applied at the selection table.
Usman Khawaja is bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo by Albert Perez – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
“We just need our players to bat better, as simple as that,” he said while adding that wholesale changes weren’t needed.
Reserve batter Josh Inglis and Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster are squad members who could also come into the selection equation for the Aussies in Melbourne while Kerry O’Keeffe on Fox Cricket commentary nominated NSW captain Jack Edwards as an option who could score runs and send down handy medium pacers.
Marsh was promoted to four in pursuit of quick runs and much-needed time in the middle and the move failed on both fronts with the veteran all-rounder playing and missing more often than putting willow on leather in his scratchy 13-ball stay at the crease.
Steve Smith breezed in for four before snicking down leg side again to leave the Aussies in strife at 5-33.
Travis Head landed a few telling blows before falling for 17 and at 6-60, the hosts were only an even money chance of avoiding defeat with a lead of 245 and 60 overs theoretically available even if the weather radar suggested otherwise.
Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Pat Cummins slugged 22 off 10 to offer up hope of a thrilling finish but the spectre of the meteorology department’s forecast and the dark clouds looming over the grandstands meant India’s batters were never going to be a chance of repeating their match-winning fourth-innings feats at the same venue four years ago.
Australia’s second innings was a mishmash of trying to give the top order a go and then when that failed, attempting to garner quick runs with Marsh up the order even though he’s clearly out of form.
Smith, Head and Cummins threw their wicket away in trying to reach their declaration point but it was yet another uninspiring effort from the Australian batters which casts doubt over their chances of outgunning India in the final two matches to wrest the Border-Gavaskar Trophy back after four straight series defeats.
Bumrah bagged 2-10 in his first five-over spell, dismissing Khawaja and Labuschagne, then claimed Cummins with a slower ball to finish with 3-18, making it nine for the match and a whopping 21 from the first three Tests of this series at 10.44.
Travis Head, who started the day by collecting the wicket of Akash Deep to end India’s innings after they just evaded the follow-on, finished with player of the match honours for his superb 152 on day two.