Virat Kohli made his way back to the pavilion with evident effort. India found themselves three wickets down in their second innings, facing a challenging situation. Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, and Mitchell Starc were skillfully manoeuvring the pink ball under the lights. Rishabh Pant entered the field to partner with Shubman Gill. What followed was characteristic of Pant; he charged down the pitch towards Boland, leaving his stumps exposed, and struck a boundary over mid-off on his very first ball. This is the essence of Rishabh Pant's approach, which has become a familiar sight in Test cricket. However, the lingering 'what if' scenario often occupies the minds of Indian cricket enthusiasts. What if he misjudges one of those aggressive shots and gets caught? Would that be deemed an irresponsible way to lose his wicket when the stakes are high? This remains a topic of ongoing discussion, as it is a risk one must consider when dealing with a player like Rishabh Pant.

Sunil Gavaskar remarked that Pant's style of play may be facilitated by the knowledge that Test cricket is not the sole format available to him. In a subtle critique of Pant, Gavaskar noted that players are aware that even if they are excluded from the Indian Test squad, they have the IPL as a safety net.

It is certainly entertaining; however, it is important to recognize that historically, there were no alternatives to Test cricket. If a player was not selected for the Test team, their options were limited to the Ranji Trophy or club cricket, effectively concluding their opportunities. With the advent of the IPL and the contract system, players now have the financial means to pursue different formats. Thus, even if a player is excluded from the Indian team, the IPL remains a viable option, Gavaskar remarked during the post-match analysis on Star Sports after Day 2 in Adelaide.

India's prospects for a remarkable comeback hinged on Pant's performance after Australia had reduced India to 128 for five in their second innings. Pant was not out on 28 from 25 deliveries, while all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed an aggressive 15 off 14 balls. India still needed 29 runs to force Australia to bat again.

When Gavaskar was questioned about the possibility of India staging a comeback through a spectacular innings from Pant, he acknowledged that while it is not impossible, it is unlikely. "Can he come out tomorrow and turn this back India's way?" Mark Nicholas inquired. Gavaskar responded, "He can, but he won't."

Travis gives Headache to India

Earlier in the day, Australia capitalized on favourable batting conditions to establish a commanding position.

By lunch, the team was at 191-4, with both Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne contributing half-centuries to the score. 

Nathan McSweeney was dismissed, caught behind for 39 runs, while Head and Labuschagne formed a partnership that added 65 runs for the fourth wicket. In the interim, Steve Smith was also caught behind for just two runs off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah.

Labuschagne was dismissed just before lunch, scoring 64 runs off 126 deliveries, marking his second half-century in the last 11 innings.

However, after the lunch break, Head took control of the Indian bowling attack on his home ground. He struck Ravichandran Ashwin for three sixes and added another off Mohammed Siraj.

Having reached 50 runs off 63 balls before lunch, Head accelerated towards his century, achieving the milestone off 111 balls.

Wickets fell at the other end, with Mitchell Marsh caught behind off Ashwin, while both Bumrah (4-61) and Siraj claimed four wickets each.

Head was dismissed after Australia surpassed the 300-run mark, bowled out by Siraj. He departed to a warm ovation from the home crowd, and the hosts' innings concluded shortly after the tea break.

This left India to face the evening session under lights, but their batting lineup struggled to meet the challenge.

Lokesh Rahul was the first player dismissed, caught behind while attempting a pull shot off Cummins, scoring just seven runs.

Yashasvi Jaiswal made a promising start, hitting four boundaries in his innings of 24 runs from 31 balls, but he too was caught behind off Boland in the ninth over.

Virat Kohli faced difficulties against Boland's precise bowling and was also caught behind, contributing only 11 runs from 21 balls, leaving India at 66 for 3 in 14.3 overs.

The situation worsened as Mitchell Starc dismissed Shubman Gill for the second time in this Test match; Gill managed to score 28 runs off 30 balls, including three fours.

Before the close of play, Cummins bowled out Rohit Sharma for just 6 runs. The Indian captain has recorded only one score above fifty in his last twelve innings.

Read Also: Harbhajan Singh Reflects on Umpire Steve Bucknor's Debut Amidst the 2008 Sydney Test Scandal

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