Friday 23 / May / 2025
Brisbane: The third session on the second day of the final Test between Australia and India was lost to rain at The Gabba on Saturday.
The eagerness of the hosts to get back on the field was visible with skipper Tim Paine constantly speaking to the match officials, but it wasn't to be as a wet outfield saw the umpires call for an early end to the day's proceedings.
At stumps, India's score read 62/2 and the visitors still trail by 307 runs with eight wickets in the bag. Cheteshwar Pujara (8) and Ajinkya Rahane (2) will need to start afresh on Sunday and with Nathan Lyon sending the dangerous-looking Rohit Sharma (44) back to the hut before the tea break, the hosts definitely hold a slight edge.
The second session saw India score 62 runs, but they lost both the openers with Shubman Gill (7) being sent back first by Pat Cummins. The ball hit that corridor of uncertainty outside the off-stump and Gill had no answers as he edged it to Steve Smith at second slip.
Rohit Sharma said that he does not regret playing the aerial shot off the bowling of Nathan Lyon on the second day of the ongoing fourth and final Test against Australia here at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Rohit played a knock of 44, but in trying to hit a six off Lyon, the opener ended up gifting his wicket. But the Test deputy said that he just didn't connect well. "I reached where I wanted to reach, just that I did not connect with where I wanted to hit the ball. I was trying to pierce that long-on and deep square-leg fielder, I just did not connect with the way I would have loved to. I actually liked what I did today, before coming here, we knew it would be a good pitch to bat, of course, there would be bounce and carry to the keeper, but this is what I enjoy," Rohit said during the virtual press conference.
"Once I was in and I had played a few overs, I realised there was not much swing so I did little adjustment there, after that, it was an unfortunate dismissal, it is something I won't regret. I like to put pressure on the bowler once I am in and that is my role in this team to keep putting pressure on the bowlers. The run-scoring has been slightly difficult for both the teams so someone needs to put their hand up and think about how to put pressure on the bowlers," he added.
Elaborating further on his point, Rohit said: "In doing that, there is a chance of making mistakes but you should be ready to accept that. It was a plan so I actually have no regrets about playing that shot, it is something I like to, Nathan Lyon is a smart bowler, he bowled into me so I was not able to get the elevation."
On the second day of the fourth Test, Rohit in trying to be positive, chipped the ball to deepish mid-on and as a result, he was sent back to the pavilion by Nathan Lyon.
Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar did not hold back on his criticism and said that there is no excuse for Rohit to be playing that kind of shot. "Why? Why? Why? That is an unbelievable shot. That's an irresponsible shot. There is a fielder at long-on, there is a fielder there at deep square leg. You have just hit a boundary a couple of balls earlier, why would you play that shot? You are a senior player, there is no excuse, absolutely no excuse for that shot. An unnecessary wicket, gifted away. Total unnecessary," said Gavaskar while commentating for Channel 7.
Rain forced early stumps on day two of the fourth Test between Australia and India at The Gabba on Saturday. India ended the day at 62/2 still trailing the hosts by 307 runs.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers toiled hard to dismiss Australia for 369 in their first innings. Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar picked nine of the ten wickets while Mohammed Siraj finished with one wicket.
Unfortunately, the Aussie tail once again troubled the Indians as they added 56 runs for the last three wickets. While Starc was unbeaten on 20, Lyon used the long handle to good effect to hit a 22-ball 24. Josh Hazlewood too tried his luck to manage 11 with two boundaries. Marnus Labuschagne top-scored for Australia as he his fifth Test ton on the opening day.
Brief Scores: Australia 369 (Labuschagne 108; Natarajan 3/78); India 62/2 (Rohit 44; Lyon 1/10).
