Australia had a nightmare start on Tuesday when Steve Smith dropped a straightforward catch to reprieve KL Rahul, who had been the lone Indian batter to reach double digits the previous evening and was looking elegant on 33.
However, Pat Cummins persisted and soon reaped the reward, dismissing his counterpart Rohit Sharma for just 10, leaving India reeling at 74/5. Rahul quickly shook off the early let-off, resuming his innings with composure alongside Ravindra Jadeja.
The pair added 31 runs to the total before a rain interruption briefly halted play. Upon resumption, Rahul and Jadeja showcased solid defence, bringing up the first half-century partnership of the innings as they began to look increasingly comfortable.
The breakthrough came in the 43rd over when Smith redeemed himself with a brilliant one-handed grab at slip to send Rahul back for 84, ending a crucial 67-run stand shortly before Lunch with India at 167/6.
With victory an unrealistic prospect, India’s focus shifted to avoiding the follow-on. After a delayed restart, Nitish Kumar Reddy adopted a measured approach, far removed from his usual attacking style, providing solid support to Jadeja, who worked his way to yet another half-century on Australian soil.
The duo added 53 runs across another rain delay before Cummins struck again, bowling Reddy with a back-of-a-length delivery on the stroke of Tea.The final session began with Mohammed Siraj falling quickly, courtesy of a sharp catch by Alex Carey off Mitchell Starc, leaving India at 201/8.
Hopes seemed extinguished when Cummins’ short-ball strategy worked to dismiss Jadeja for a well-made 77, leaving India still 33 runs shy of the follow-on mark. With the pressure mounting, Jasprit Bumrah once again took on the role of saviour, this time aided by a composed Akash Deep.
The duo survived nervy moments, with streaky edges and the occasional confident stroke keeping India afloat as the light began to fade. In the 75th over, Deep edged an attempted cut shot over the slips for four to push India past the follow-on mark.
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He followed it up with a stunning pull over midwicket, compounding Cummins’ frustration. Only one more ball was bowled before bad light forced the umpires to call off play, with India trailing by 193 runs but avoiding further catastrophe.