BRISBANE: The third Test between Australia and India in Brisbane ended in a draw after storms halted the hosts’ bid for an unlikely win Wednesday to leave the series locked 1-1.

Early tea was taken on the final day at the Gabba because of bad light with India 8-0 having been set a target of 275 for victory, after Australia declared on 89-7. But a big storm swept over the ground during the break and play was abandoned, with the five-Test series now heading to Melbourne and then Sydney.

The draw badly hurts India’s chances of making the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s next year, with Australia now likely to defend their title against South Africa. “Unfortunately a lot of rain, which you can’t do anything about, but really happy with how the guys played,” said Australia skipper Pat Cummins.

“To put 450 (first innings) on is a huge total and then felt like we’re right ahead of the game for all of it.” With rain causing regular disruptions throughout the Test, the chance of a result other than a draw looked to have disappeared when India avoided the follow-on late on Tuesday.

“I mean, we’ll take that obviously, to have interruptions like that wasn’t great,” said India skipper Rohit Sharma. “But going to Melbourne with one-all pretty much gives us that confidence that we can go out there and try and pull things towards us.”

Carnage

After losing most of the morning session, Australia began their second innings after lunch showing no signs of an attacking approach. But once under-pressure openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney fell, along with the equally out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne, the Australian approach seemed to change as the batsmen started to attack every ball.

Khawaja, who turned 38 on Wednesday, came into the second innings after a run of poor form which has seen him not score a century since June 2023. He spanked two fours from the first over he faced from Mohammed Siraj but it took the talismanic Jasprit Bumrah just one ball to get his man, the left-hander bowled off an inside edge that also clipped his pad.

Labuschagne was next to go after wafting at a wide ball from Bumrah and edging to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. The carnage continued when McSweeney played a cut shot off Akash Deep, edging to Pant to leave the Australians 16-3. Deep had his second when Mitchell Marsh, promoted to bat at number four, also left his bat hanging and edged to Pant, with Australia staggering at 28-4.

That became 33-5 when Steve Smith was well caught by a diving Pant down the leg side off Siraj for four. Australia were obviously trying to set a target for the Indians to chase and Travis Head (17) fell going for quick runs, a wild slog off Siraj getting a top edge that flew skywards for Pant to come around for his fifth catch.

Cummins came in and smashed 22 runs off just 10 balls before miscuing an attempted pull shot off Bumrah and holing out to KL Rahul at mid-off. He sent Mitchell Starc out but declared soon after. India resumed the day on 252-9 in reply to the hosts’ 445 after a 10th-wicket partnership between Bumrah and Deep late Tuesday allowed them to avoid the follow-on. They were dismissed for 260 four overs into the first session when Deep was stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off part-time spinner Head.

India captain Rohit Sharma said Wednesday his team’s gritty fightback against Australia with both bat and ball would not hold any significance for the Boxing Day Test. Despite being behind for much of the rain-affected third Test, India showed great determination to avoid the follow-on and then take seven quick wickets in Australia’s second innings.

The match ended in a draw and the two sides now head to the Melbourne Cricket Ground with the five-match series locked at 1-1 with two Tests remaining. Rohit was dismissive when asked whether the fightbacks gave his side a psychological boost. “I don’t believe in all of that,” he said. “You’re starting fresh every Test match you play and you have to start really, really well from ball one. “All those things that have happened in the past, are in the past. — AFP