BRISBANE: Atrocious shot selection by the top-order batters, including Virat Kohli, left India reeling at 48 for four at tea on a rain-marred day three of the third Test against Australia here on Monday. Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc struck twice and Josh Hazlewood once as India took lunch at 22 for three after Australia racked up 445 in their first innings. Pat Cummins got the big wicket of Rishabh Pant in the second session to make things worse for the Indians.
Rahul was batting on 30 at tea break, while skipper Rohit Sharma was yet to open his account. Returning to the middle after the lunch break, Rahul and Pant negotiated a hostile spell of fast bowling from the duo of Starc and Hazlewood before heavy showers once again interrupted the proceedings. Cummins kept three slips and a gully for Pant, as opposed to the four men in the slip cordon and a gully for Rahul, when Hazlewood was operating.
Starc had three slips, and two gullies when he the red cherry in his hand. The only fielder in front of the wicket during that phase of play in the second session was the man stationed at mid-off, reflecting the Australian bowlers' dominance. Starc removed Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second ball of the India innings and then dismissed Shubman Gill before Hazlewood accounted for the wicket of Kohli as the visitors stared down the barrel of another poor outing with the bat after their failures in Adelaide.
Jaiswal was out caught by Mitchell Marsh at short midwicket while he tried to clip a.
