IND vs AUS, 4th Test, Brisbane: Labuschagne Hits Half-Ton After Smith Falls, Saini's Injury Scares India
India V Australia, 4th Test, Gabba: Another injury scare haunting India as Navdeep Saini walked out. Saini may have pulled a hamstring. Marnus Labuschagne completed his half-ton and has recovered the loss of Steve Smith in the early overs. The Australian team is trying to take control of the match but India still remains in the driver's seat.
India has started the game well in the 4th test against Australia in Brisbane, which is the fourth and final Test match ongoing at The Gabba. Opting to bat, Australia’s pair of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne took the hosts to a comfortable position only to give Washington Sundar the first breakthrough to the Indian team as he took Smith's crucial wicket. David Warner was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj. Also, Shardul Thakur scalped the wicket of Marcus Harris.
Marnus Labuschagne has reached his fifty here at the Gabba. Sinch 2019 Ashes series, the right-hander has been dropped for 10 times. Hits his 11th Test fifty. Australia try hard to take control after Steve Smith's fall.
Another injury scare haunting India as Navdeep Saini walked out. Saini may have pulled a hamstring. The physio was out and was seen doing some stretching before he took him out of the ground. Rohit Sharma completed Saini's over. Maybe the first time, Rohit bowled in red-ball cricket.
Australia is presently 134/3.
The depleted Indian side is missing both Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin. Fast bowlers T Natarajan and off-spinner Washington Sundar have been handed debuts with Shardul Thakur playing his second Test match and Mayank Agarwal replacing Hanuma Vihari in the middle-order. Australia only has one change which is Marcus Harris in place of injured Luke Pucovski.
Australia hasn't lost a cricket Test match at the Gabba since 1988. India has never won a Test match at the Brisbane venue with a draw in 2003 the best they have fared. Both teams will be looking to seal the hotly contested series with a win.
Some say it's a fortress for Australian cricket. Others have dubbed it the Gabbatoir, a colloquial reference to the home team carving up.
With the Border-Gavaskar series tied 1-1, all hinges on this last match, as an injury-plagued India is determined to make some history. Both teams have struggled with injuries and spending months either in quarantine or under travel and accommodation restrictions.