Australia denied in third Test draw after India bowlers expose familiar frailties

Australia 445 & 89-7; India 260 & 8-0 at the Gabba
Play ends early on day five after hosts suffer top-order collapse

First of all, you have to say “fair play” to Australia for making a game of it. Losing some time out of day five of the Brisbane Test was already inevitable with the weather forecast. But when most of the first session disappeared due to lightning precautions and then rain, it seemed sure that any hope of a contest had gone too. Instead Australia came back from an early lunch break looking to smash quick runs, then set India 275 to win in 54 overs. It was a great set up, until rain returned to end the fourth innings just after it had begun.

Looking past that boldness, though, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the helter-skelter of Australia’s second innings was a boon to India. Another crop of wickets for the visiting bowlers, and another failure apiece were chalked up next to the names of Australia’s specialist bats.

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