Xtra Time Web Desk: A brilliant 123 runs partnership between Shardul Thakur (67) and Washington Sundar (62) for the seventh wicket restricted Australia to take a slender lead by only 33 runs on Day 3 of the fourth test match at the Gabba on Sunday. It was due to their monumental effort with the bat that India managed to post 336 runs in the first innings. Australia, who had scored 369 in its first innings, then ended the day reaching 21/0 in their second innings. Openers David Warner and Marcus Harris remained unbeaten on 20 and 1 respectively, helping Australia swell their lead to 54.
Resuming Day 3 at 61/2, India lost the overnight batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara (25) and skipper Ajinkya Rahane (37) in the morning session. Pujara was the first to go as he edged one to wicketkeeper Tim Paine off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood for 25 with the team’s score on 105. Rahane soon followed edging a Mitchell Starc delivery behind the wicket. Mayank Agarwal. India at one point were staring at a huge deficit when Rishabh Pant (23) got dismissed by Hazzlewood giving a catch to Cameron Green with the score on 186/6.
It was then left to Thakur and Sundar who stitched together the highest seventh-wicket partnership for India at The Gabba and brought the visitors right into the match. Both batted with great grit and determination as they didn’t allow Australia to take any further wickets and also made sure that the runs kept coming for India at a decent rate.
Thakur’s 67 runs was studded with nine boundaries and two sixes before he got out bowled by Pat Cummins in the final session. Sundar then registered the highest individual score for a debutant batting at number seven in Australia as he scored valuable 62 runs before getting out caught at gully.
Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar had earlier held the record of the highest seventh-wicket partnership for India in Brisbane, scoring 58 runs in 1991.