KL Rahul shared that he actually thought about getting ready to bat again when India lost their ninth wicket for 213 on Day 4 of the Gabba Test against Australia. He was the top scorer for India in the first innings with 84 runs, and with the follow-on threat hanging over them, he was gearing up for another turn at the crease. Luckily for him and the whole Indian squad, it didn’t come to that, as the last-wicket duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep put together a solid partnership of 39 not out, bringing India to 252/9 at the end of the day and avoiding the follow-on.

Now, India can breathe a little easier, knowing they’re in a better spot in the match, even though they’re not completely out of trouble yet. The likelihood of a draw seems pretty high, with two more innings to play over three sessions, assuming the rain stays away. But it wasn’t always looking good. With just 33 runs needed and only one wicket left, India was feeling the pressure, and Rahul admits that this made him mentally prepare for a second innings if it came to that.

It's awesome to see the lower-order batsmen stepping up and scoring runs. We talk about this a lot in our meetings, and the bowlers really put in the effort to improve their batting skills. It's great to witness them forming a little partnership and avoiding the follow-on. With the rain around and so much of the match already lost, it makes a big difference. We needed to find a way to stay competitive, and Akash and Bumrah really delivered. It was a solid way to wrap up the day, Rahul mentioned regarding their performance.

At that point (213/9), I was more focused on getting ready to bat again. I wasn't sure if they would enforce the follow-on, so I was thinking about my own batting. But it's always a treat to see bowlers go out there and score runs. They work hard in the nets, and today they really showed what they can do when it counts. The last half hour was thrilling—not just because of the runs they scored, but also the guts they showed in facing bouncers, defending well, and playing some impressive shots. This will definitely boost their confidence and the team's overall morale.

Akash Deep encouraged everyone to take a breather.

The path to dodging the follow-on wasn’t a walk in the park. The Australians kept pushing hard, but major props to Bumrah and Akash for their cool-headedness. Neither of them went for flashy shots; instead, they stuck to solid, classic strokes. Akash’s backfoot punches were a sight for sore eyes, something any top-order batsman would be proud of.

But then, there was that one moment when Akash tried to go big just when India needed four runs. The team management quickly picked up on his slip in focus and acted fast. A shot showed Virat Kohli stepping out onto the balcony to send a message, with Rahul breaking it down for everyone.

"It’s pretty straightforward. Just get those runs. No need to go for boundaries; just play it safe with singles. They (Australia) had spread the field, so there were singles to grab. Just be a bit more patient because right before the message went out, Akash tried to hit a boundary, so it was just a reminder to calm down and aim for 5-6 singles to avoid the follow-on," he explained.

Akash eventually found his groove when he launched a massive hit off Pat Cummins, sending the ball soaring into the stands over long-on.

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