3 reasons why India's prospects of winning BGT 2024-25 appear extremely grim after Day 3 of Gabba Test
Team India have resorted to relying on the weather rather than their ability as the Border-Gavaskar series reaches a tipping point midway through the proceedings. The Men in Blue are perilously placed at 51-4 in the first innings at Stumps on Day 3 of the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Australia have dominated the fixture from the word go after Rohit Sharma opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Hundreds from Travis Head and Steve Smith propelled the hosts to 445, leaving India a huge mountain to climb.
India may be rescued by the weather in this instance, since the forecast for the remaining two days also looks bleak. They still have a chance to head into the final phase of the series without trailing in the scoreline, but their recent performances suggest that won't be a factor, since a series win does not seem to be on the cards.
On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India's prospects of winning BGT 2024-25 appear extremely grim after Day 3 of the Gabba Test.
#1 Bowlers might take 20 wickets, but batters can't bat for a whole day
The importance of picking up 20 wickets in overseas conditions to yield a result is stressed upon regularly. However, to play out overs with the bat is also equally important. Although the Indian bowling attack is far from perfect, and over-reliant on Jasprit Bumrah, they have shown enough to suggest that they are capable of picking up 20 wickets.
The same assurance is absent when it comes to the batting department. India have lost 24 wickets across the last 92 overs in this series. Australia, on the other hand, played out 117 overs in the first innings in Brisbane alone.
Not playing enough overs with the bat leaves little time for the bowlers to recover, affecting their input and intensity in the next innings.
India won't have lifeless tracks like the worn-out one in Perth to capitalize on every time. Even if they do, with their current form, they will not be able to outscore Australian batters. The only way for India to survive a day's play without getting bowled out is to shield the out-of-sort middle-order batters.
For that, the top three have to see out the new ball and only expose Kohli, Pant, and Rohit when the ball is old and the bowlers are tiring. So far, India have not shown that they have yet grasped the Australian conditions.
#2 Downward spiral with both bat and ball
From a batting point of view, with each passing Test, India's collapses, and the shot selection associated with it, have gotten more and more baffling and atrocious. The batting unit, barring perhaps KL Rahul and Nitish Reddy, are rock bottom in terms of confidence.
The batters have the luxury of relatively eased-up conditions in Melbourne and Sydney, as compared to Brisbane and Perth, along with the pink ball obstacle in Adelaide. However, the utter lack of conviction among the Indian batters negates that factor.
As far as the bowling unit is concerned, it has been the same story from the word go. It's either Jasprit Bumrah or nothing. With the spearhead not having the opportunity to rest, and the gap between the matches serving as the only room to recover, a point might come where fatigue comes into the picture.
Mohammed Siraj has already struggled with his hamstring in the ongoing Test in Brisbane. Without the two frontline bowlers, and spin being largely non-existent, the Indian bowling unit paints a bleak picture. Akash Deep and Harshit Rana have been good, but only in flashes, and neither are ready to be the second seamer in the attack as of now.
A tired and deflated bowling attack against an in-form Australian batting unit on good pitches could spell some serious trouble towards the business end of the series.
#3 Australia moving from strength to strength, looking like their best selves
Australia's growth has been inversely proportional to India's downfall in the series so far. As mentioned earlier, India's state has gone from bad to worse, while Australia have improved with each day since their collapse in the first innings at Perth.
Pat Cummins and Co. have silenced the critics with their dominance. The blame was primarily placed on the batting unit, and though Khawaja still looks shaky, the rest have stepped up to make a meaningful contribution to the cause. Australia have had trouble against Bumrah, but they have capitalized on the other bowlers to claim the upper hand constantly.
As fas as their bowling unit is concerned, they only have had to execute the basics right, and the Indian batters have done the rest. The bowlers have not had to grind or toil hard since the Perth Test to break the opposition.
A settled batting unit, an ever-reliable bowling quartet, and the comfort of home turf behind them, one cannot help but feel that every aspect has aligned together for Australia just at the right time. It will take a special performance from India to defeat them in back-to-back Tests, which as things stand, they are not capable of achieving.