The opening session of the day was a shared contest between the two sides. Australia bagged two crucial wickets of Rohit Sharma (10) and Rahul (84) while India added 116 runs to the scoreboard in the extended opening session which saw 32 overs being bowled despite a brief rain interruption.
For India, Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy are unbeaten at 41 and 7, respectively, with the team still requiring 79 runs to avoid follow-on.
It was not an ideal start for Australia as Steve Smith dropped Rahul on the first ball of the day at the second slip off Pat Cummins. Rahul was batting on 33 at that time and went on to add 51 more runs to his tally before Smith finally redeemed himself at first slip off Nathan Lyon.
Resuming from an overnight score of 51/4, India desperately needed someone to step up and show resilience. Rahul rose to the challenge and appeared a class apart from his teammates. The Aussies set an attacking field with three slips and a gully, leaving gaps in the covers and point region, tempting Rahul to play his trademark drives. However, he was astute enough to resist the temptation, only going for the shot when the bowlers pitched the ball firmly into his driving zone. He struck his second half-century of the series.
Rahul's maturity was evident in his defense as well, using soft hands and playing close to his body. Cummins tested him persistently with deliveries outside the off-stump, but Rahul wisely left the ball alone or tucked his bat behind his pads.
Meanwhile, skipper Rohit (10) will regret missing another opportunity to make a meaningful contribution in this series. Rohit initially looked composed, showing patience and waiting for the right deliveries to attack. However, he fell victim to a recurring issue - an indecisive poke without moving his feet. Cummins exploited this weakness with a delivery close to off-stump, and Alex Carey completed the catch behind the stumps.
The absence of Josh Hazlewood, who left the field after an uncomfortable opening over, reduced the sting of the Australian bowling attack. Cricket Australia later clarified that Hazlewood, who had missed the second Test in Adelaide due to a side strain, will undergo scans to assess a potential calf injury.
Brief scores: India 167/6 (KL Rahul 84, Ravindra Jadeja 41 not out; Pat Cummins 2-41) trail Australia 445 (Travis Head 152, Steve Smith 101; Jasprit Bumrah 6-76) by 278 runs.
--IANS
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