Credit where it's due. KL Rahul is often at the receiving end after not performing as per expectations. But in the ongoing Australia tour, he is the best Indian batter in terms of accumulating time in the middle while opening the innings. Rahul's 84-run knock has given India a massive chance to draw the ongoing third Test at Gabba in Brisbane. Even as the rain has made a huge difference, the visitors have somehow managed to avoid the follow-on.
Apart from Rahul's brilliant knock, Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep also played a huge role in taking India past 246 in the first innings. They lost Ravindra Jadeja when the score was only 213 and it was the ninth wicket to fall. But then, Bumrah and Akash Deep made sure to hang around and frustrate the hosts even as Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins ran in hard to skittle the opposition.
But the unbeaten 39-run stand between them took India to 252/9 by stumps and with only 98 more overs left, the Test match is heading towards a draw. There is more rain in the forecast on the fifth day too and eking out a result is very much unlikely at the Gabba. For India, Rahul attended the press conference at the end of day's play and revealed the mantra of his success in overseas Test matches.
"I just focus on the basics—that's my mantra. I aim to play close to the body and let the wide deliveries go. Sticking to the fundamentals helps me in these Test situations," he said. Meanwhile, India celebrated avoiding the follow-on but after they lost nine wickets, Rahul was thinking to put on his pads expecting Australia to enforce the follow-on only for Akash Deep and Bumrah to do the unthinkable.
"When Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah was batting, I was thinking more about padding up and go to bat again probably, I am not sure about they would have enforced the follow on, so I was thinking about what I need to do, but good to see yours bowlers making contribution" Rahul added.