3 things India need to do right to bounce back on Day 3 of BGT 2024-25 3rd Test at The Gabba
After the opening day of the third Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Test between Australia and India saw very little play due to persistent rain, the hosts called the majority of the shots on Day 2 (December 15) at The Gabba.
India got off to a fine start as they reduced Australia to 75/3. However, Steven Smith and Travis Head then joined forces to help the hosts dominate the proceedings. Smith scored 101 while Head scored 152 in a massive 241-run stand as Australia ended the day on 405/7.
Jasprit Bumrah was India's lone warrior, picking up five wickets while Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy scalped one wicket apiece. The hosts will be pleased after having put up over 400 runs on the board as they made the Indian bowlers toil hard.
That said, the visitors will need to bounce back on the third day if they are to claw their way back into this Test match.
3 things India need to do right to bounce back on Day 3 of BGT 2024-25 3rd Test at The Gabba
#3 Pick up Australia's remaining wickets quickly
Australia ended Day 2 on 405 for the loss of seven wickets on the back of brilliant hundreds from Steven Smith and Travis Head. Bumrah was India's lone star with the ball, picking up five wickets.
Mitchell Starc (7*) and Alex Carey (45*) will resume the innings on Day 3 for Australia at The Gabba. With 405 runs already on the board, the visitors will have to pick up the remaining three wickets in quick succession to ensure Australia do not get to 500 or beyond.
Bumrah will need able support from the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep early on to clean up the Australian innings as soon as possible.
#2 Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul need to set the foundation at the top
Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul will have to take the responsibility of getting the team off to a great start at the top. The visitors will need a solid opening stand to set the tone for the rest of the batters to come and cash in later on.
The second innings of the Perth Test saw Jaiswal (161) and Rahul (77) put up a 201-run opening stand. In pursuit of Australia's first-innings total at The Gabba, the visitors will need a similar display from their openers.
Given the form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in particular, the middle-order appears shaky at the moment. With the weather prediction, if it rains and favors the bowlers, it will be all the more important for Jaiswal and Rahul to provide the team with a solid start.
#1 Force Australia to bowl more of Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh
Australia's pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have troubled India and are known to bowl well in tandem. It will be upon the batters to face the trio and not give them wickets to push Australia to go more to their other bowling options as well.
With Bumrah being the lone bowler among wickets on Day 2, the visitors were forced to get a significant number of overs out of Nitish Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja. Nitish bowled 13 overs while Jadeja bowled 16.
The Indian batters will have wear out the Australian pace trio and force the hosts to bowl more of Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh, considering Marsh has not been bowling a lot given his injury concerns in particular.