Indians must 'run' hard

Rishabh Pant at the Gabba nets in Brisbane yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

The middle day of a Test match is considered the moving day, though in this series, by the time of Day Three, the outcome has been a foregone conclusion. By extension, the middle Test of a five-match series, especially one beautifully balanced at 1-1, is of vital significance for obvious reasons.

That's precisely why the third Test, beginning at the hallowed Gabba here on Saturday, assumes greater importance than normal. With everything to play for, Australia and India will leave no stone unturned in their bid to grab the advantage, the momentum with the hosts and the pressure on the visitors to respond in kind after their 10-wicket loss in Adelaide.

Lack of runs

All the problems seemed to be concentrated in India's basket, like they had been in Australia's after the unexpected 295-run reversal in Perth. Most of those problems revolve around their batting - the lack of runs all season of skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli's vulnerability outside off and where Rohit should bat.

Having slipped down to No. 6 for the first time since 2018, Rohit didn't have a fruitful pink ball outing. That KL Rahul, to whom Rohit surrendered his opening role, didn't fire either has renewed calls for the captain to revert to the top of the order because that's where, in the last five years, he has enjoyed great success.

From the outside, that would suggest uncertainty, but within the changing-room, there is clarity on what the way forward is. India will be hoping that clarity spills over to the field as well, and that the malaise of first-innings underachieving, which has manifested itself in four defeats in their last five Tests, is emphatically put to bed at the venue of one of India's greatest Test victories, in January 2021.

Should Washington Sundar nudge back ahead of R Ashwin in the spin-bowling all-rounder stakes, India will be served by four members who were part of that epochal three-wicket triumph. Shubman Gill with 91 and Rishabh Pant with an unbeaten 89 were the principal protagonists in the successful chase of 329 at a ground where the Aussies hadn't been vanquished since 1988, and they will look to feed off those heroics with India desperately seeking top-order runs.

Harshit Rana has been under the scrutiny after going for plenty, mainly to the explosive Travis Head, in Adelaide. Akash Deep, who made a strong start to his Test career earlier this year, is fancied to feature in the XI if India look beyond Rana. It might be unfair on the youngster if he is dropped after one poor game, but that's how it goes in the world of competitive sport.

Oz in much better space

Australia are in a much better space, more so with Josh Hazlewood back fit and firing. His replacement, Scott Boland, had a very good Adelaide outing, but like many Indian spinners who could only look on helplessly during the era of the great quartet, Australia's support pacers have little option, but to bide their time in the age of the Mitchell Starc-Pat Cummins-Hazlewood hegemony.

Marnus Labuschagne's feisty 64 has eased some of Australia's batting crease lines. Their summer will take on an even more sunny hue if former captain Steve Smith too could find some runs.

7
No. of Test matches India have played in Brisbane. They won one, lost five, while one ended in a draw