Australia missed their first chance in 23 years to enforce a follow-on against India; and the team's assistant coach, Daniel Vettori, then admitted that with just a day left in the third Test in Brisbane, a draw is the most likely result in the offing.
In late drama at the Gabba on Tuesday, an unbeaten 39-run partnership between tailenders Akash Deep (27*) and Jasprit Bumrah (10*) defied the hosts and took India to the 246-run mark to avoid the follow-on. Australia had scored 445 in their first innings of the rain-hit Test match.
The last time Australia enforced a follow-on against India was in the iconic Kolkata Test in 2001, where VVS Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) batted through the day to script a turnaround that led to India's thrilling victory.
"I think the only way to force the game was to force the follow-on," Australia's assistant coach Vettori said while talking to the reporters after stumps on day four. "There was a desperation to get that final wicket. We thought we had a really good chance when Jadeja was dismissed, but it was a real fighting partnership from Bumrah and Deep."
The five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy currently stands at 1-1, after India won the opener in Perth by 295 runs and Australia levelled things up with a 10-wicket win in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Vettoi added that Brisbane weather and rain has caused a lot of frustration for both the teams as it has reduced the Test to a stop-start affair on all four days so far.
"Unfortunately, just the amount of time that’s been lost from the game has made it difficult (to force a result)."
For India, Ravindra Jadeja (77) and KL Rahul (84) also played crucial knocks to push India closer to the 246-run mark to avoid the follow-on.
The other setback that Australia received on Tuesday came when fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was all but ruled out of the remainder of the Test series with a calf injury.
Hazlewood had also missed the second Test with a side strain, with Scott Boland replacing him in the eleven.
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