India will be up against Australia in the third Test of the five-match series in Brisbane, starting on Saturday, December 14. There is a forecast for a thunderstorm in the afternoon in Queensland but with the greenness of the pitch reducing, it promises to be a tight encounter, especially where the series is placed currently. India would be the wounded lions raring to go having lost the Adelaide Test and with a question over the spots of a few players, this could be a make-or-break game for India.
Australia, on the other hand will be upbeat after the last week’s performance. Their batting still has a few chinks, but the hosts will be glad to go into the Gabba game with some confidence, especially after what had happened the last time around against the same opposition.
Gabba, Brisbane pitch report
Australian captain Pat Cummins reckoned that with the sun doing its thing in the last couple of days, the wicket might have settled a bit and should be good for the batter, unlike the spicy one which was produced for the South Africa clash two seasons ago. Gabba, traditionally, after Perth is the bounciest wicket in Australia and with consistent grass, it is likely to remain true to its nature. Since it was a pink-ball Test the last time around, not much can be taken from that apart from the improved scores following the South Africa clash.
Generally, the wicket gets better through the Test match for batting on days 2 and 3, the 2020/21 fixture between these very teams remains the biggest example, however, for that, teams have to ensure that they don’t fold cheaply in the first innings. India have already suffered because of it in Adelaide and with the series on the line, they can’t afford a repeat of the same.
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However, with the rain forecast, that too a heavy one, the bowlers will have a say on the first day at least and if the batters are able to survive that period, it should be a good game. Expect the captain winning the toss to bat first.
