Australian cricket team would not mind enforcing the follow-on on Team India in search of a result in the ongoing third Test at The Gabba in Brisbane. The Australians scored a formidable 445 in the first innings with Steve Smith and Travis Head scoring 101 and 152 respectively. Team India’s reply has been poor as they lost four wickets
for just 51 by the end of Day 3 in third Test of the order-Gavaskar Trophy.

The five-match series is currently tied 1-1 and while there are two matches still to come, every result matters as both teams look to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final. In search of victory in Brisbane where the weather has constantly played spoilsport in patches and continues to look bleak, Australia can enforce follow-on if required.

What is the follow-on mark for Team India?

Enforcing follow-on has been increasingly rare in Test cricket as bowlers are required to bowl in back-to-back innings. In today’s world of three formats, captains prefer not to enforce follow-on. However, Australia could enforce follow-on as it would allow them to finish the match early and avoid the risk of settling for a draw due to rain.

The follow-on mark for India is 246. When this report was published, India were still 79 runs behind the follow-on mark at 167/6, having lost two crucial wickets in the first session of Day 4. Rohit Sharma fell to Pat Cummins for just 10 as he edged a ball to the wicket-keeper Alex Carey. At the same time, KL Rahul, who has emerged as the best batter so far with a zen-like technique, was caught in the slips by an acrobatic Smith as his long vigil got over after a fighting 84 off 139 balls.

“We hold a few more cards than they do. Tomorrow is going to dictate what happens, if we can get the ball in the right areas and take a few early ones. That obviously brings in the extra card of the follow-on,” Mitchell Starc told ABC radio after Day 3.

“The fantastic effort of the batters in the first innings gives us that option as well. When you score 450 and have a team four for 50, you hold all the cards. We’ve certainly got the options there. It’s just going to see how it plays out in that first session (of day four), I’d say.”

Brisbane weather forecast

The prediction for rain on Day 4 and Day 5 of The Gabba Test in Brisbane can force Australia to enforce the follow-on on India. As per AccuWeather.com, there’s a warning of thunderstorms on Day 5 while the probability of precipitation on Day 4 stands at 100%. The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted up to 30mm of rain on Day 4 and up to 25mm more on Day 5 in Brisbane.

The last time Pat Cummins enforced the follow-on was in the drawn 2022-23 Test against South Africa at Sydney.