Despite many rain interruptions, which can be a driving factor for possible draw result of the crucial Brisbane Test, the fourth day of the Test match was full of thriller. The visitors India just managed to save the follow-on and it was a completely thrilling moment in the dressing room which made the former Indian captain Virat Kohli very excited. 

With the help of Steven Smith (101) and Travis Head’s (152) centuries and Alex Carey’s 70,  Australia were all out for 445 runs in the first innings after the Indian captain Rohit Sharma chose to field first in the Gabba Test. 

In reply, India ended the third day of the Test match at 51/4. Early on the fourth day, captain Rohit Sharma (10) lost his wicket to the Aussie skipper Pat Cummins as the visitors were struggling at 74/5 and the follow-on scare was there.

KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja brought the hope

While opener KL Rahul was solid with the bat, except for providing an opportunity on the first ball of the day, Ravindra Jadeja gave him solid support. They had a 67-run partnership before Rahul was dismissed for 84 runs by Steven Smith’s incredible catch. 

After Rahul was out, in-form batter Nitish Kumar Reddy provided another support to Ravindra Jadeja. They had a 53-run partnership for the eighth wicket, and Reddy was out after scoring 16 runs. 

While Mohammed Siraj lost his wicket for one run, Jadeja lost his wicket after bravely fighting with 77 runs off 123 balls with the help of seven fours and one six. At that point, India scored 213/9, and they still required 32 more runs to avoid the follow-on.

See Also: Will Australia miss Hazlewood for the remaining BGT?

Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep did the job perfectly

The last two batters Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep didn’t lose their hope. The last moments were very thrilling where Akash Deep ultimately rescued the visitors by officially avoiding the follow-on with a boundary to Cummins over the gully fielder.   

While India avoided follow-on with that boundary, Kohli and the head coach Gautam Gambhir had a passionate high-five. Kohli also had another passionate celebration with the skipper Rohit Sharma.

Akash Deep then slammed a sixer to Cummins. Soon, the day ended after the bad light interrupted the game once again.  

Akash Deep makes sure India avoid the follow-on and then smashes Pat Cummins into the second level!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/HIu86M7BNW

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2024

#TeamIndia have avoided the follow-on. AUSTRALIA WILL HAVE TO BAT AGAIN!#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 3rd Test, Day 5 | 18th DEC, WED, 5:15 AM on Star Sports! #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/DqW3C9DMJX

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 17, 2024

THE SHOW-STOPPER AKASH DEEP! 😎#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 3rd Test, Day 5 | 18th DEC, WED, 5:15 AM! #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/Yi8RQxoqhK

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 17, 2024

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir is set to join the Indian team in Australia as he has already left India for Australia. With his return, the Indian team is completely ready for the remainder of the ongoing Test series in Australia. 

While the skipper Rohit Sharma missed out on the five-match Test series opener against Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25), head coach Gautam Gambhir missed the invitational practice match against Prime Minister’s XI. Rohit was on parental leave and Gambhir returned to India due to personal reasons. 

Watch: What happened when Rohit Sharma met this desperate fan?

Rohit and Gambhir have returned

In the absence of Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah led India in the Test series opener at Perth Stadium, where India took a 1-0 lead in the series after dominantly winning the match by 295 runs. Rohit just returned to the Test squad after the beginning of the Perth Test. He was present at the invitational day-night pink-ball practice match against Prime Minister’s XI, where the Indians won the match.

Meanwhile, Gambhir returned to India after the Test series opener. However, as previously reported, the former Indian cricketer has left India for Australia to join the team as a head coach. In his absence, Abhishek Nayar, Morne Morkel, and Ryan ten Doeschate handled the team. 

India and Australia are getting ready for the pink-ball Test

According to the previously reported schedule, the team India would land in Adelaide on Monday (December 2). Adelaide Oval will host the second Test of the series, which will be the only day-night pink ball Test match in this series. As the pink-ball Test match is still far from acceptable outside Australia, the pink-ball practice match was important for the visitors India. 

While Australia have played 12 day-night pink-ball Tests before, they won their first 11 Tests before losing the last one against West Indies last January at the Gabba. On the other hand, India have experienced four pink-ball Tests, where they dominantly won all three home Tests but lost against Australia at Adelaide Oval in their previous Australia tour, where India were all out for 36 runs. 

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has departed for India and will not be present with the Indian team when it takes on Prime Minister's XI in Canberra in a two-day tour game on November 30. Gambhir is expected to be away due to personal reasons. 

However, more recently, a BCCI spokesperson revealed that the 43-year-old is expected to be back well in time before the start of the second Test in Adelaide which will be a D/N Test match. The Canberra tour game will be played during the day but with a pink ball in a bid to acclimatize to conditions presented in a day/night Test. 

Who will take charge in Gambhir's absence? 

While Gambhir is away for personal reasons, assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Morne Morkel will collectively be in charge of the Indian squad. 

India managed to make a stunning comeback after a humiliating series whitewash at home by thumping Australia by a mammoth 295 runs in the Pert Test. The mood in the camp is certainly positive after that win and with the inclusion of Rohit Sharma, India's lineup is only going to be strengthened a lot further. 

What will happen to the team composition if Gill becomes fit?

Gill was excluded from the first Test due to a fractured thumb. With a little under 10 days to go for the second Test, Gill still has ample time to recover from his injury. 

Should he become fit for the Adelaide Test, India will then have to free up two spaces in the batting lineup in order to accommodate him. There is no major update on Gill's fitness at the moment but the 25-year-old is highly unlikely to feature in the upcoming two-day tour game in Canberra. 

See also: IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) buys and complete updated squad

Pacer Harshit Rana who is 22-year-old but he has been waiting since long time to begin his International career. On Instagram, he shared a picture of himself wearing the India cap and wrote, "13 years ago, my dad and I dreamed of this moment. Today, it came true. This is for you, Dad."

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by RANA (@harshit_rana_06)

Former KKR Coach Gautam Gambhir backed Harshit Rana

Harshit Rana revealed that the advice from his Dad and Coach Gambhir to stay focused and calm and not to worry helped him a lot. Harshit during a post-day press meet said, "It was difficult for me to wait (for my debut), but Gauti bhai was saying to keep my patience and do well whenever my chance comes. He always gives me confidence. He was telling me to keep everything aside and think that you are representing the whole country."

Rana was nervous and seen in tears during the cap representation speech

Harshit Rana expressed what he was going through the night before making his Test debut. He said, "I wasn't going to get a lot of sleep that night and I went to sleep quite late. I didn't listen to anything special, just followed my regular routine. I had nervous feelings the day before the match. I had seen Australia vs India only on TV, waking up early and watching with my dad. So this is a huge deal for me."

See Also:- Watch: Virat Kohli appreciates openers after dominant display

Rana was a crucial member of the KKR Squad in their IPL  Winning Campaign. He looked to be specific for white-ball with his bowling styles. But when he played the simulation match at WACA against India A which showed his potential in playing red ball as well. He shined in his debut with figures of 3-48 and helped restrict Australia to a total of 104 and get his team the lead of 46 runs. His maiden Test wicket was Travis Head as he missed the outside edge and the ball hit the top of the off stump. He was overwhelmed after his Maiden Test wicket. He was happy with his and the team performance as well.

"We get extra bounce when we come here and play on these wickets but we have to make sure we don't get carried away. If we focus on bowling those good lines and lengths, it will help us. So that was the focus, to not get carried away", the pacer further added.

Rana also spoke about Skipper Bumrah's influence on them as he said, "Whether you talk about batting or bowling, when someone gives you a start like Jassi bhaiyya did yesterday, it creates an atmosphere where everyone is very charged up. Everyone starts thinking 'if he is doing it, we will too". So that was a big thing that they were three wickets down when I came on to bowl.

The 0-3 whitewash at home against the Black Caps has raised alarm bells within the BCCI administration, compelling them to revisit their 'A' program which involves bolstering their bench strength for the top-tier Indian team. As per a recent report from TOI, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is reportedly devising a strategy to create a player resource pool.

The 'A' program worked as a charm under the supervision of former India head coach Rahul Dravid who used to tour with developmental teams throughout the year thereby offering the highest degree of exposure to young budding India cricketers. 

The issues surrounding the 'A' program in the past

The 'A' program suffered a setback in the past following the advent of the Covid pandemic. These A tours presented a huge financial burden on the other boards as they refrained from sponsoring the India U-19 series and 'A' teams. Despite the pressing challenges, BCCI made concise efforts to organize a couple of shadow 'A' tours like the one that preceded India's Test tour of Australia. 

"Other boards have communicated to the BCCI that they can't bear the expenses of an 'A' tour. The BCCI has still tried to organize a couple of shadow 'A' tours like the one which precedes India's Test tour of Australia. Laxman is working on it to come up with a plan that will offer greater exposure to the next generation of cricketers," a source said.

The major reason behind several boards' reluctance to host the 'A' tours vastly stems from the financial implications. These tours do not generate any revenue and all the expenses have to be incurred by the local boards which makes the 'A' program a highly unsustainable prospect in the long run.  Laxman will have a tricky task at hand and needs to find a viable solution to make these tours more affordable. 

A look into India's most recent 'A' tour

India featured in an 'A' series earlier this year against the England Lions prior to the start of the five-match Test series against England. That series offered an all-round view to the selectors on the players' current standing which in turn provided a baseline for them to make suitable selections ahead of the competitive Test series. 

Moreover, the 'A' program also came into focus in India's previous BGT outing down under where the likes of Siraj, Thaku, Saini, and Sundar all of whom stepped up in the absence of senior players. These players were the by-product of the 'A' series that was scheduled just before the start of the series. On the back of some formidable performances in the 'A' series, these budding youngsters were able to book their place in the Indian playing Xl which subsequently triumphed under dire conditions to clinch the series by 2-1.  

See also: Nitish Reddy included in Ravi Shastri's playing Xl in the upcoming Perth Test

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, on Wednesday, took another jibe at India head coach Gautam Gambhir as their feud continued over his comments on Virat Kohli's form heading into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as well. Reiterating his “prickly character” remark, Ricky Ponting said a “frightened” Gautam Gambhir only took a jibe at him in the wake of India's Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand earlier this month as well.

Virat Kohli had a poor series against New Zealand

Speaking on the podcast show 'The Run Home with Joel & Fletch,' hours after clarifying his statement on Kohli's form, Ponting said, “I'm not sure if I mentioned a couple of them, but I reckon he's just throwing me in the deep end, trying to find their two most experienced and make sure when they come out, they put that back on me.”

SEE ALSO: Watch: Rohit Sharma's Playful 'Rohit Bhai RCB Me Aa Jao Yaar' Query Goes Viral

However, Ricky Ponting once again shared that while he was concerned about Virat Kohli's form as he scored only three centuries in the last five years, where his home average dropped to almost 30, he also felt that the Australia tour could just set up the perfect platform for him to prove his critics wrong as well.

Ricky Ponting concerned about Virat Kohli's form

“I was asked the other night if I was concerned about Virat Kohli's form. A day before, I had read his stats from the last five years, so it was clear in my mind. I think he made only two (three) centuries in the last five years. His average in India is now down to 30 from 90, during this period. So yes, I would be concerned. And I said if you ask him about his form, he would be concerned because it is nowhere near what it used to be. But then I said since he loves playing in Australia and has a great record here, so if there ever was a tour where he could turn things around, it would be this. But they never talked about the second part. Then Gambhir went and faced the press having just lost against New Zealand. The hair on the back of his neck is already standing up. We got a bit of history as well, but he took a chance to fire back at me,” he concluded.

The BCCI has conducted a review meeting of India's shock 0-3 debacle against New Zealand where the selection of rank turner for the Mumbai Test, resting the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and head coach Gautam Gambhir's coaching style were discussed. Captain Rohit Sharma, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gambhir attended along with BCCI secretary Jay Shah and president Roger Binny where Gambhir joined the meeting online. It has been learnt that the questions were asked about certain decisions taken by them during the series as well.

There were also discussions about Gautam Gambhir's style of coaching which is very different from the earlier head coach Rahul Dravid and how the team is getting used to it.

Team India faced a shocking 0-3 series defeat to New Zealand

"It was a six hour marathon meeting which was obviously on cards after such a debacle. India are going on a tour of Australia and the BCCI would obviously like to ensure that the team is back on track and would like to know how the think-tank (Gambhir-Rohit-Agarkar) are going about it," a senior BCCI source privy to development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

SEE ALSO: Watch: Rohit Sharma's Playful 'Rohit Bhai RCB Me Aa Jao Yaar' Query Goes Viral

It was also learnt that BCCI management wasn't too happy that speedster and the team's vice-captain Bumrah was rested for the third Test and why the host opted for a rank turner after losing on a similar kind of surface in Pune.

Jasprit Bumrah didn't play the third Test

"Bumrah's absence was discussed although it was a precautionary move. Opting for a rank turner despite India not faring well on these tracks are some of the issues that came up for discussion," the source informed.

However, it can't be confirmed whether Gautam Gambhir's coaching style was questioned or not but it is understood that a few suggested that the Indian team think tank isn't on the same page with the head coach as well. Meanwhile, the selections of T20 specialist all-rounder Nitish Reddy and rookie pace bowler Harshit Rana, with only 10 matches in Ranji Trophy have not been unnoticed as well.

Notably, the Indian team will be leaving for Australia in two batches on November 10 and 11 as well.

Gautam Gambhir has found himself in the eye of the storm lately following a crashing Test series defeat at the hands of the Kiwis. Under his mentorship, India has gone on to register some embarrassing records. From losing an ODI series for the first time to Sri Lanka in 27 years to being whitewashed in a three or more match series at home, Gambhir has let himself and his team down badly.

While the players have been at the epicenter of heightened criticism, Gambhir’s role in the recently concluded New Zealand test series is also being reviewed under a microscope. According to emerging reports from PTI, Gambhir’s fate as the Indian head team coach depends on how his side fares in the forthcoming India tour to Australia later this month. 

In the upcoming five-match Test series, the wounded Indian team would not only look to retain their title but also compete fiercely to get back in the WTC race. After a horrendous 0-3 defeat, India’s standing in the WTC points table has been severely jeopardized. 

So what does the BCCI plan to do now?

As per BCCI guidelines, head coaches have no role to play in team selection. Gambhir’s predecessors, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid long advised the board to involve the head coach in selection matters. But their requests were turned down, however, an expectation was made in Gambhir’s case considering the importance of the Australia tour.

It is this special power that the BCCI is likely to snatch from Gambhir unless there is a remarkable change in fortunes for team India. The report further states that amidst such a disastrous tenure, Gambhir may not be given a free hand in selection matters any longer. Moreover, the report also points out some major concerns against the 43-year-old. 

Gambhir’s inclination towards having a rank turner at a time when the Indian batters have been in woeful form against the spin to send Siraj as a nightwatchman, a move that triggered a collapse late on day one, are some of the major concerns that were highlighted in the report. 

Gambhir has been significantly involved in the selection process since his appointment in July this year. His presence contributed to Suryakumar Yadav's ascension over Hardik Pandya in the competition for the T20I captaincy of India following Rohit Sharma's retirement from this format. Moreover, Gambhir made some heads turn when he expressed his desire to handpick Harshit Rana for the Australia Test series despite having played only nine First-Class games.

India's Star Pacer Jasprit Bumrah's workload management has been the most trending topic as he has been crucial for Team India in all three formats.

Bumrah has been known for his unique bowling action and ability to bowl yorkers but he has to deal with some injury issues as well. Those back issues made him miss some key series and tournaments in 2022 and 2023.

To ensure Bumrah's workload management, India's Cricket management and the Board Of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have adopted a more careful approach, regarding his participation in matches across the format.

Head Coach Gautam Gambhir on Bumrah's workload management

Head Coach Gambhir addressed a press conference in Pune on Wednesday and said that the team will decide on Bumrah's workload after the second Test against New Zealand. India will decide on resting Star Pacer after the second test after he has played all three tests at home so far and Australia Tour which is less than a month away.

Gambhir further added, "Once the series is over, we still have around 10 to 12 days before the First Test starts in Australia. He believes it is enough break for the fast bowlers but still, they will see where Jasprit Bumrah stands after this Test."

"It is not only about Bumrah but other fast bowlers as well. We want to keep all of them as fresh as it is a long and important Australia tour. Workload Management depends on this Test and how much they have bowled in this Test."

Jasprit Bumrah's comeback during Asia Cup 2023 and World Cup 2023 participation showed that workload management and injury prevention have been prioritized to ensure his availability for key matches and reduce injury risks.

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir tasted his first success in the longer format as India beat Bangladesh in the first Test convincingly. After Rahul Dravid's tenure ended after the team won the 2024 T20 World Cup, Gambhir took the reins. And, after the ongoing Bangladesh Test series, India will play New Zealand and Australia in the longer format as well. And, Ravichandran Ashwin will be important for India as well. Before that, Ashwin described how Gambhir and Dravid are different as head coaches.

'I think Gambhir is very relaxed' - R Ashwin

"I think he (Gambhir) is very relaxed. There is nothing at all. In the morning, in the huddle. 'Are you coming?' Like that. Rahul Bhai is like, we will come. As soon as we come, the bottles should be in a place. He is very regimented. He is like, everything should be in order, according to him. He has a relaxed order. I feel that he captures the minds of the people. He loves the boys. He is not only relaxed," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

However, R Ashwin expressed his gratitude towards the crowd for their support throughout the 1st India vs Bangladesh Test match in Chennai. He also added that this was one of the best Test pitches he has played on in India so far and also urged curators to create similar pitches for Tamil Nadu's Ranji Trophy games as well. 

SEE ALSO: Rohit Sharma comments on his retirement plans after quitting T20Is

"Easily one of the best cricket pitches I have played in India" - R Ashwin

"The crowd was so passionate about watching the match," Ashwin said.

"Easily one of the best cricket pitches I have played in India for a while. Awesome pitch and I really hope Tamil Nadu play Ranji Trophy on such pitches. The way they have laid the pitch, they should take it to the next level. Outstanding Test match wicket. Earlier, there was a curator named Pacha. He said. 'sir the wicket will be good for the fast bowlers in the morning'. The batting will be easy. Then it will turn and the match will be over'. But like he said, the first day, there will be bounce," R Ashwin concluded.