India Avoid follow-up as third Australia Test heads to draw

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India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep completed an unlikely 10th-wicket partnership on Tuesday to avoid the follow-on and set the third Test against Australia in Brisbane on course for a draw.

When the pair came together, the tourists still needed 33 runs to see Australia strike again at the Gabba on another rain-delayed day.

But under gloomy skies and with rain around, the two managed to see off Australia’s much-vaunted pace attack to frustrate the home side on day four.

Deep scored the crucial runs with an edge to the boundary just past Nathan McSweeney’s outstretched hand off Australian captain Pat Cummins.

He celebrated two balls later by smashing Cummins over deep midwicket for a massive six before the umpires took them off the field for poor light with India 252-9.

Deep was not out on 27 and Bumrah was on 10.

Spearheaded by lack of pace Josh Hazlewood, who was only able to bowl one over on Tuesday after suffering a match-ending calf injury, Cummins (4-80) and Mitchell Starc (3-83) battled hard for wickets .

After losing almost all of Saturday and Monday to rain, play was stopped three more times on Tuesday.

During that time, India was able to get closer to the follow-on target despite losing wickets at crucial times.

When the last pair came to the wicket, they were still 33 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.

But numbers 10 and 11 fought hard and put on 39 runs under dark skies and in light rain.

Resuming the morning at 51-4, opening batsman KL Rahul was dropped on the first ball of the day when Steve Smith somehow missed a simple catch at first slip.

Rahul and India captain Rohit Sharma saw off the first half hour and took the score to 74 before Rohit bowled a Cummins delivery that edged slightly off the seam to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Taking advantage of Smith’s first-ball lapse, Rahul brought up an impressive half-century with a lovely cover drive shortly before a shower sent the players hurtling off the field for 25 minutes.

He added 51 runs to his overnight tally before Smith made amends with a stunning catch to dismiss Rahul for 84, diving to his right and taking a one-handed catch at first slip 20 minutes before lunch.

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja put on 53 and looked increasingly comfortable.

But just when it looked like the pair would take the score to the 246 needed to avoid the follow-on, Cummins broke through as Reddy played on for 16, leaving Jadeja with only the bowlers to try to avoid the follow-on.

Rain forced an early tea and after the break, Jadeja began to take control, cultivating the strike and moving to 77 before striking out to Mitchell Marsh at deep square leg.

Bumrah and Deep then came together for their memorable partnership.