brisbane: Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori admitted that a resilient partnership between Indian tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep foiled their plans to enforce a follow-on, while also defending the decision not to declare the home team’s first innings in the third Test which seems heading towards a draw.
With the Indian batters, barring KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, failing once again, it was the obstinate 39-run unbeaten partnership between Bumrah and Akash Deep that saved India the blushes as the tourists avoided a follow-on a rain-marred Day 4 on Tuesday.
“I think the only way to force the game was to force the follow-on,” Vettori said at the post-day press conference.
“There was desperation to get that final wicket. We thought we had a really good chance when Jadeja was dismissed, but it was a real fighting partnership from Bumrah and Akash. Unfortunately, just the amount of time that’s been lost from the game has made it difficult,” he added.
Akash, making his debut in Australia, walked in to bat at 213/9, with India still needing 33 runs to avoid the follow-on that could have cost them the game. Alongside pace spearhead Bumrah, he guided India to 252/9, frustrating the home team.
Australia ended Day 3 on 405/7 but chose to bat, consuming a considerable amount of game time on a rain-affected Day 4 rather than declare their innings.
Asked if declaring was on the table, Vettori said, “No, I think we always acknowledge that first innings runs are going to be vitally important in this game. You don’t really want to plan for weather, because we’ve seen on these days where it can blow past, and you can get on with things, and then it can settle in. So I think the conversation was mainly around, let’s make the most of this first innings, trust a very good bowling unit to be able to deliver on this wicket.”
Australia were handed a major blow as pacer Josh Hazlewood sustained
a calf injury. “Weather allowed us to operate in terms of breaks with Mitch and Patty. If it had been full 90 overs, it would have been a lot tougher to
manage,” he said.