From midway through Day 1, Australia and India’s clash at the Gabba was headed for a stalemate – and after a record 18 rain delays throughout five days, that’s where the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy eventually landed.
Amid the wild weather and repeated halts to play was plenty of drama, though – from Travis Head’s brilliant 150, to Jasprit Bumrah’s latest bowling masterclass, to India’s last pair taking them past the follow-on target and then Australia going full kamikaze on the last day to try desperately to force a result, the 214.1 overs it was possible to bowl were certainly exciting enough.
As a result, both sides head to Melbourne with serious problems to address: India have an out-of-form captain and a bowling attack as loose and ineffectual as Bumrah has been sharp and menacing, while the Aussies can’t buy a run from their top three and have Nathan Lyon struggling to make an impact against an opposition well suited to blunting his influence.
Here are The Roar’s player ratings for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia
Nathan McSweeney – 1
The good news for McSweeney is that after the first four dismissals of his Test career were to Jasprit Bumrah, he was finally removed by someone else – Akash Deep – on Day 5.
That’s where the good news ends, though, because with just 13 runs in two digs at the Gabba, falling to a tame edge into the cordon after playing the wrong line to Bumrah in the first and fatally swishing at Deep in the second, his 72 runs after three Tests means he’s had the worst start to a career by an Australian opener in four decades.
Desperately needs runs in Melbourne to solidify his spot, especially with Sam Konstas racking up runs in every format he plays.
Usman Khawaja – 2
On a hiding to nothing on Day 5 with a draw all but certain, Khawaja had little to gain and everything to lose – which he duly did by being comprehensively bowled by Bumrah to the first ball he faced off the Indian star.
Looked as composed as he has all series in limited time on Day 1, but Khawaja’s dismissal for 21, edging Bumrah behind, early on Day 2, plus his second-innings failure continues his wretched form this summer.
Is desperate to stay on as opener for at least next year’s Ashes series, and it’s doubtful selectors will want to jettison him with McSweeney far from entrenched as his partner – but he’s another Aussie who badly needs a big score in either Melbourne or Sydney.
Marnus Labuschagne – 1
It took just one shocking shot on Day 5 for all the gains Labuschagne made with his vital half-century in Adelaide to dissipate.
A loose slash at Bumrah to edge behind made it two failures on his home ground for the Aussie No.3, once again putting his spot in the gun.
Just as concerning as his low scores was another painfully slow start in the first innings, his 12 coming off 55 balls as he yet again struggled mightily to get his innings going.
Steve Smith – 8
Smith has made many more fluent Test tons than this one, but few would have felt sweeter.
Having gone a career-high 12 Tests without reaching three figures, the champion partnered beautifully with Travis Head for a double-century stand to all but take the game out of India’s reach on Day 2, along the way regaining much of the fluency and timing we’ve come to expect from Smith at his peak – even his dismissal in the second innings, caught down the leg side as part of an unsightly collapse, was more bad luck than poor shot selection.
Loses half a mark for the absolute dolly he dropped with the first ball of Day 4, and while he redeemed himself somewhat with a one-handed stunner a few overs later, the extra 51 runs KL Rahul was able to add between the two were costly in Australia’s inability to enforce the follow-on.
Travis Head – 9.5
When the Indian team head back to their hotel rooms this evening, they’ll probably check under the bed and in the closet for Travis Head.
The South Australian’s 18-month stranglehold over the world’s most powerful cricket nation saw him yet again pulverise quicks and spinners alike, a century of 115 balls characterised by his ability to score to all corners of the field and his remarkable control for such an aggressive batter.
There’s no question the fate of the series rests on Head’s shoulders, and Australia will be praying a limp he developed while batting in the second innings isn’t a sign of a developing groin injury.
Mitchell Marsh – 5
Did next to nothing with the bat and only bowled two overs, and his ugly dismissal on Day 5 was particularly concerning, but Marsh deserves his grade simply for his excellent fielding.
Nabbed a career-best three catches in India’s innings, including two stunners – a flying grab at gully to see the back of Shubman Gill, and later a diving boundary snare on Day 4 to end Ravindra Jadeja’s innings.
Nevertheless, Marsh’s lack of runs this series – he has three single-figure scores in four innings – has seen his career average drop below 30 once again, and while he has credits in the bank after a brilliant 2023/24 summer, someone’s going to miss out for Cameron Green when the Ashes come to town…
Alex Carey (wk) – 9
Smith and Head took the headlines, but equally significant was Carey’s return to top form at the Gabba – with both bat and gloves.
Capitalising on the platform laid down by the aforementioned duo, the keeper-batter showcased the aggression and shot-making that he usually reserves for limited-overs cricket, an outrageous lofted drive over cover for six the shot of the match and probably the series to date.
His swashbuckling 70 took Australia’s score past 400 for the first time in 12 months, while he boshed some quick pre-declaration runs on Day 5 and looked sound.
His keeping was immaculate, too, snaring some excellent diving catches off the quicks and finishing India’s innings with a quicksilver stumping off Head.
Pat Cummins (c) – 8
The pick of the Aussie quicks at the Gabba, Cummins only got better once Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the Test (and probably the series) due to a calf strain, scything through India’s middle order with characteristic class.
Finding movement where India’s pacemen, Bumrah aside, couldn’t, the captain had Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant edging well-pitched deliveries behind, while an in-ducker to splatter Nitish Kumar Reddy’s stumps was even more spectacular.
Loses a mark, however, for his continued insistence as captain on the quicks targeting tailenders with almost uniform short balls – not for the first time in the last 18 months, the ploy backfired, with Bumrah and Akash Deep putting on a rapid fire 47 to claw India past the follow-on target and all but end Australia’s hopes of forcing a win – had they aimed at the stumps, they wouldn’t have even had to risk anything by declaring in the manner they did.
Mitchell Starc – 7.5
Since Yashasvi Jaiswal chided him in Perth for bowling too slowly, Starc has removed the Indian opener twice in the first over – revenge is a dish best served cold, indeed.
Had two wickets within seven balls to rip through India’s top order on Day 3, but was frustrated by the repeat rain delays, which often arrived while he was in the middle of an over and led to some amusing reactions from the left-arm quick.
Nathan Lyon – 4
Hazlewood’s injury is Australia’s chief bowling concern heading into Melbourne, but nearly as worrying was the ease with which India’s batters handled Lyon.
Needed a Smith stunner to help claim his only wicket of the match, and after barely bowling in Adelaide and managing only two late wickets in Perth, has just three wickets at 60 for the series – and with just seven wickets at 66 against India in four previous Tests at the MCG, things might be about to get even harder for the GOAT.
Josh Hazlewood – 3.5
It can’t be a proper failure, given he managed to secure the wicket of Virat Kohli, but Hazlewood’s inability to play out the Test due to a calf strain, likely sidelining him for the series, should prompt a change of thinking from Australia’s selectors.
A first-choice pick in Australian conditions when fit for a decade, Hazlewood’s injury woes, especially with a high-quality back-up in Scott Boland waiting in the wings, has to count for something at some stage, because his absence for all but one over of the final two days effectively ended any chance of Australia pushing for a win.
As the old saying goes, you’re no use to anyone if you’re injured – and with Boland set for two Tests to continue his outstanding record in Australia, whether the veteran is still in the best three quicks in the country is no longer indisputable.
India
Yashasvi Jaiswal – 1.5
Jaiswal’s first tour down under has been a feast or famine business, with his spectacular century in Perth surrounded by three single-figure scores.
Was dismissed by Starc in the opening over of an innings for the second time this series, this time flicking to mid-wicket – all up, he faced just eight balls for the Test, with rain denying him a shot at spearheading India’s run-chase that he would surely have relished.
KL Rahul – 9
India’s most accomplished batter by a country mile at the Gabba, Rahul’s success after his last-minute push to the top of the order has been bad news for Rohit Sharma, but salvation for his team.
Separating him from the groping bats and thick edges of most of the rest of his team was his immaculate judgement on when to leave, stymying Cummins and Starc for nearly four hours amid plenty of crisp cover drives.
Took a spectacular Smith catch to deny him a century, but coming off the back of excellent contributions all series long, the 32-year old has resurrected his Test career in Australia.
Shubman Gill – 1.5
Lasted just three balls before succumbing to Marsh’s gully screamer – but it was off a ball he could well and truly have left alone.
Made his Test debut in Melbourne four years ago and dazzled from the get-go with scores of 45 and 35 not out – Australia will be hoping they can remove the dangerous youngster similarly early at the MCG.
Virat Kohli – 2.5
Aside from his Perth century, this tour has been a tough slog for the champion veteran, whose impatience and poor judgement outside off stump has resulted in edges galore to an expectant Aussie cordon.
A loose drive off Hazlewood saw him nick to Carey early in eerily familiar scenes – he has 26 runs in five innings this series outside of his hundred.
Does, however, remain sharp at slip, with three excellent catches in Australia’s first innings.
Rishabh Pant (wk) – 4
Is yet to fire much of a shot this series after dominating on his previous two Australian tours, with Cummins finding his edge in the first innings playing an uncharacteristically defensive shot.
Does get bonus marks for his safe catching, pouching nine for the match – including five in the second innings – and conceding just one bye.
Rohit Sharma (c) – 1.5
Another ugly showing for the Indian skipper, Sharma’s move to the middle order has yielded scores of 3, 6 and 10 this series.
Outclassed by Cummins to edge behind, Rahul’s form as opener now leaves the captain in no-man’s land, with his form grim enough to put his spot in the team in jeopardy.
As captain, he seemingly has no idea how to keep Head contained, as for the second Test in a row – and third against Australia – he was powerless to stop the left-hander taking the game away from his team.
Ravindra Jadeja – 7
In some way, shape or form, Ravindra Jadeja always finds a way to make an impact against Australia, so it should have come as no surprise after an ineffectual performance with the ball that he dazzled with the bat to take India to the brink of safety.
A classy 77 after coming in at 5/74 showcased his impeccable timing, particularly off Nathan Lyon, and if it is to be batting that decides whether he or Washington Sundar play at the MCG, the veteran likely now has the edge.
The problem, though, is that despite past success down under, Jadeja’s bowling was as unthreatening as most finger-spinners are in Australia, with Head and Smith dealing with him easily and 23 overs leaking 95 runs.
Nitish Kumar Reddy – 3
Sent down just 13 overs for the Test – all in the first innings – and while he did see the back of Marnus Labuschagne, it’s clear he is viewed by Sharma as the fifth bowler in his team.
Moved down to eight by Jadeja’s return, Reddy couldn’t produce the same fireworks as he did in Adelaide, attempting to bunker down and take India slowly past the follow-on for 61 balls that yielded 16 runs – a far cry from the run-a-ball strike rate he took into the match.
Would be unlucky to be dropped for the MCG, but his strongest suit appears to be his batting when India desperately need bowlers to support Bumrah.
Mohammed Siraj – 4
Outstanding four years ago in his debut series, Siraj’s return to Australia has slowly seen his bowling deteriorate, to the point where he is no longer an automatic selection.
Went at nearly five an over across the Test, with two tail-end wickets on Days 2 and 3 and a slogging Head and Smith on Day 5 making his figures look more respectable than they really were.
Jasprit Bumrah – 9
Magnificent again, the gap between Bumrah and the rest of India’s bowling attack is reaching comical proportions.
Took six wickets, including five of the top six, in Australia’s first innings while giving nothing away, and put paid to pre-Test injury fears by getting through 28 overs.
As if nine wickets for the Test – his three second-innings wickets included Khawaja and Labuschagne – wasn’t enough, he also combined with Deep for a 47-run final-wicket partnership to avoid the follow-on, saving India’s bacon and even briefly giving them a chance to push for a win after Australia’s Day 5 declaration.
Akash Deep – 6
Comfortably India’s second-best quick, Deep was still a world behind Bumrah, but showed enough with the ball – and the bat – to all but guarantee he remains in the team at the MCG.
Drew false shots out of McSweeney and Marsh in quick succession on Day 5, and though his accuracy isn’t quite where it needs to be, there is plenty of talent in the 28-year old.
Coming in at No.11, a spicy 31 featuring a colossal six off Cummins should earn him a move up the order in Melbourne.
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