Meanwhile, former Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara believes that changing the batting order of the Indian captain is disrupting his rhythm. Notably, Rohit Sharma is now batting at number 6 instead of opening. He missed the first match of the series due to personal reasons. After failing in both innings of the second Test match, he failed again in another innings. Pujara believes that batting in the middle order instead of opening can affect a player’s momentum.
Commenting on Rohit’s latest dismissal, Pujara said, “It wasn’t a length ball that you could drive. Even driving a full-length ball isn’t easy here. Rohit was trying to punch the ball; he should have defended it. He’s not scoring runs at the moment, which is putting pressure on him.” Pujara further added that Rohit used to be an opener, but now he’s batting at number 6. “Doing so doesn’t help you with your batting; it doesn’t help you find your rhythm,” he stated.
Following Rohit’s early dismissal in the match, excellent batting performances from KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja propelled India’s score past 200. A half-century partnership between KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja was witnessed. Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon ended this partnership, having Rahul caught by Steve Smith for 84 runs. Rahul’s innings of 139 balls included 8 fours. Pat Cummins dismissed Ravindra Jadeja for 77 runs. Jadeja’s innings of 123 balls included 7 fours and 1 six.
Subsequently, Jasprit Bumrah (10) and Akash Deep (27) added a crucial 39 runs for the last wicket, saving India from the follow-on. Currently, the rain-affected match seems to be heading towards a draw. Australia will therefore attempt to quickly dismiss the Indian innings and bat rapidly to force India into a quick fourth innings.