Pat Cummins faces brave call to take control for Australia in rain-hit third Test against India in Brisbane

Pat Cummins may have to break form and force the follow-on for just his second time if Australia are to take a 2-1 series lead in the third Test at the Gabba.

India went to an early stump at 4-51 on Monday night after spending most of day three struggling to survive in response to Australia’s first-innings 445.

After day one was almost completely washed out and seven separate rain delays broke up Monday’s play, more rain is expected for the final two days.

That could mean Australia will have to be creative to find a way to victory.

Australia have forced the follow-on just once during Cummins’ tenure as captain, in a similar rain-affected match at the SCG last year.

Beyond that, Cummins has played down the possibility of doing it back four times, even hinting that the follow-up was all but dead during a 2022 press conference.

Pat Cummins has previously been reluctant to force the follow-on but may have to to save the game in rainy Brisbane

Rohit Sharma and his Indian side are on the ropes in Brisbane and will need to dig deep to salvage a draw

Steve Smith has also turned the chance away twice while filling in for Cummins as captain in Adelaide in 2021 and 2022.

But Brisbane looms as the most obvious option if Australia are to bowl India out for 245 or less.

Long rain delays mean the bowlers’ workloads are naturally managed with numerous breaks, leaving no time for India to build a difficult target in the final innings.

“With two days to go I think there’s still plenty of time for a result,” said all-rounder Mitch Marsh.

‘We’ll see how it goes over the next two days.

‘When you are sent in and earn 450, it is always positive. You earn the right to attack early with the ball.

‘Now it’s just about how we try to take 20 wickets. We have six more to pick up, and we just assess from there’.

However, Australia believe they have all the aces after Mitchell Starc took two wickets in the first two overs on Monday to leave India 2-6 early.

Josh Hazlewood also picked up a wicket and Cummins another, with India’s out-of-sorts top order struggling.

With almost no chance of losing the match, Australia can continue to search for wickets, with three of the four on Monday coming from pulling an Indian batsman’s edge.

“You’re comfortable being driven to boundaries to bring in the balls that hit the stumps,” Starc told ABC radio.

‘We look at some of the numbers from the Indian attack and not many balls are hitting the stumps.

“Obviously I bowl a bigger length than Josh and Pat, but I think there’s a conscious effort here … to just punch it up a bit more, bring the drives in, bring in the edge.”