“Jaane de udhar se KL (let the ball pass through there, KL).”
Rohit Sharma’s voice, coming through the stump mic, was thick with frustration rather than anger. It was late in the day, during what would turn out to be the second-to-last over of a rain-affected third day at the Gabba. KL Rahul had clipped a Nathan Lyon delivery to mid-wicket and was already halfway down the pitch, calling for a quick single. But as he looked over his shoulder to see if the ball had beaten a diving Pat Cummins, the Aussie captain got there, though he fumbled the pickup and couldn’t make a clean run-out. The two Indian batters nearly collided, creating a mini disaster. Rohit, visibly annoyed, almost smashed his bat into the ground but caught himself before turning to Rahul and calmly telling him to be a bit more careful next time.
That little moment summed up the entire vibe of the day and reflected what was going through Rohit’s mind. About 25 minutes earlier, when the players had made their way back onto the field after another rain delay, it seemed like there was no way they’d get any more play. The heaviest rain of the day had just passed, and the sun had dipped, leaving the Gabba lit only by floodlights. No one thought the umpires, Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth, would dare to restart play at 4:45 PM. But hey, they did.
A Rain-Interrupted Day
The reason Lyon was bowling with a 15-over-old ball was simple – it had gotten too dark for Cummins to continue his spell after Mitchell Starc wrapped up his over. Lyon did get a couple of deliveries to grip and bounce, much like Travis Head did in his only over. But to be honest, there was no real threat from the two off-spinners. Still, you couldn’t shake off that nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
India was having a rough day, and things hadn’t been going smoothly for Rohit in recent months either. So when Rahul nearly messed up his call for a single, it made sense that Rohit was a little on edge. The idea of his innings being abruptly cut short, especially in such a frustrating way, wasn’t something he was keen on. Luckily, the worst didn’t happen. But just when it seemed like India might have escaped the storm, the drizzle returned, forcing the players off the field yet again in what was a stop-start day. Australia, despite all the weather chaos, had taken full control, putting themselves in the driver’s seat.
India’s Survival in Challenging Conditions
In some ways, India got lucky. They only faced 15 overs of pace from a pumped-up Australian attack, and the pitch was definitely more favorable to the home team. Starc and Hazlewood were getting more out of it than any Indian bowler, except for Jasprit Bumrah, who continued to be a beast, finishing with another solid 6 for 76.
The forecast had been ominous from the start. A strong wind whipped around the Gabba, keeping the clouds moving fast, and no shower lasted longer than 10 minutes. For every dark cloud, there was a sliver of blue sky, enough to keep the nearly 20,000-strong crowd hanging on. And when the weather allowed, it was Australia who made the most of it. Alex Carey was on fire from the get-go, playing some outrageous shots, including a monster six over extra cover, as he raced to 70. Bumrah did manage to get a wicket early on, but that was the only real high point for India, even though they cleaned up the tail without too much hassle.
But as the rain kept coming, the patches of blue sky started to shrink. And so did India’s position in the match. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill both fell to poor shots against full deliveries from Starc. Virat Kohli wasn’t spared either, flashing at a full-ish delivery from Hazlewood and getting a thick edge behind to the keeper.
Rohit Sharma’s Calm Under Pressure
Then, just when the rain paused for a quick 15-minute window, Pant and Rahul fought it out, facing Cummins’ attack. But it didn’t take long for Cummins to get Pant caught behind with an angled delivery that rose at the left-hander. That brought Rohit to the crease, with India still reeling in just the 15th over of their innings.
By now, the streaks of blue sky had vanished completely. It was dark, gloomy, and totally ominous. Rohit’s frustration was obvious as he feared his innings could be cut short in the worst possible way. But as he walked off the Gabba at the end of the day, he knew both he and his team had somehow managed to survive and would live to fight another day — or two.
In what had been a chaotic, rain-hit day, Australia had put themselves in a dominant position. But India, despite the challenges, had hung in there, and Rohit’s calmness under pressure had played a massive part in making sure they didn’t go down without a fight.
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