Brisbane, Australia Dec 15 (V7N )– Australia’s Steve Smith held his ground under intense pressure as India’s Jasprit Bumrah delivered an early masterclass on day two of the third Test at the Gabba. Despite the early blows, Australia reached 104/3 at lunch, with Smith unbeaten on 25 and Travis Head on 20.

Morning Assault by Bumrah

India, eager to capitalize on a rain-shortened day one, struck quickly in the morning. Resuming at 28/0, Australia lost opener Usman Khawaja (21) when Bumrah found an edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant in the seventh ball of the day. Bumrah struck again soon after, dismissing rookie opener Nathan McSweeney (9) with a sharp delivery that found Virat Kohli’s safe hands at second slip.

Smith’s Survival Battle

Smith, under scrutiny for his form and technique, walked in at number four and quickly found himself under pressure. Reverting to his signature "crab walk," he flirted with disaster early, narrowly avoiding a repeat of his leg-side dismissal from Adelaide. Battling through a fraught opening spell, Smith steadied alongside Marnus Labuschagne.

Labuschagne’s Departure

Labuschagne, who swapped defiant gestures with Mohammed Siraj after a brief altercation involving the bails, couldn’t convert his gritty start. He fell for 12 after driving loosely at Nitish Kumar Reddy, gifting Kohli his second catch of the session and ending a hard-fought 37-run stand.

Setbacks for India

India’s hopes of further breakthroughs were hampered as Siraj limped off mid-over clutching his knee during his 11th spell. While the injury appeared minor, it allowed Head and Smith to consolidate in the closing minutes of the session. Siraj returned to cheers and boos but bowled sparingly before the break.

Session Highlights

Jasprit Bumrah: 2/23 in a stellar spell, removing Khawaja and McSweeney.

Nitish Kumar Reddy: Claimed Labuschagne’s wicket in a timely intervention.

Smith and Head: Built a cautious partnership to stabilize Australia’s innings.

With the Gabba pitch offering assistance to seamers, the afternoon session promises more action as India looks to capitalize on a livelysurface.

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