3rd Test: K.L. Rahul lays down the line, as India evoke visions of a decorous draw

It may yet be early days to say whether the ongoing Border–Gavaskar Trophy is seeing the emergence of a K.L. Rahul 2.0 — but the signs are surely promising.

In a series where the Big Two have floundered with alarming regularity, notwithstanding Virat Kohli’s century in Perth, the classy batter from Bengaluru has used the opener’s role to literally show the team its way.

A three-figure knock may have eluded Rahul thus far, but his adamantine 84 on a rain-affected fourth day of the third Test in Brisbane was worth its weight in gold.

Across the five innings so far, his collection may be a modest 239, with two half-centuries — but this trip, he has been an object lesson on the art of Test batsmanship on wickets with bounce and seam movement.

The visitors found an ally in the rain at The Gabba, but if we are now dreaming up visions of a decorous draw (which would leave the series 1–1 too), then India must be grateful to the character shown by Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja and the unbeaten 39-run partnership for the last wicket between Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah.

The animated reactions of head coach Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in the dressing room as soon as Akash Deep guided a short Pat Cummins delivery past third man to help India avoid a follow-on reflected the sense of relief in the Indian camp.

The two pace bowlers' defiance with the bat may have reminded many of the 2021 partnership between Hanuma Vihari and Ravi Ashwin, but it would not have been possible without the 67-run stand between Rahul and Jadeja.

The frequent rain interruptions must have also challenged the batters’ concentration — though India were also helped by the fact that Josh Hazlewood went out of action early with a strained calf.

In a series which has been largely dominated by bowlers, Travis Head is now the leading scorer with 392 runs from four innings, followed by Rahul.

Despite making the playing XI almost by accident when skipper Rohit Sharma gave the first Test a skip due to fatherhood, Rahul rose to offer a masterclass to fellow Indian batters on how to make necessary adjustments against the Australian fast bowlers — who were consistent in trying to induce the edges, bowling outside the off-stump corridor.

Close to the body

Gill, Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Pant all edged out, to be either caught by the wicketkeeper or in the slip cordon. Unlike his teammates, however, Rahul played close to his body and avoided sending his bat off on a wild-goose chase — thereby reducing the chances of putting out that outside edge.

He was looking to meet the ball under his eye, unlike Kohli and Sharma, who both stretched forward to offer shots in front of their pads.

Still, with 193 runs in arrears and with just a day to go, the India camp should be far more energised than they were yesterday (16 December).

The final day could still be an intriguing one, when it starts 30 minutes earlier to compensate for the rain delays — if India does not undo all the good work of their lower-order batters today.