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After their historic triumph in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Indian cricket team is set to return to Australia's so-called fortress, The Gabba. Check India vs Australia 3rd Test Day 1 LIVE SCORE, MATCH UPDATES AND FULL SCORECARD HERE While India ended the Aussies' winning streak in Brisbane during their previous tour, Rohit Sharma's men will take the field on December 14 aiming to regain momentum after their defeat in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide.
The five-match Test series between India and Australia is currently tied at 1-1. With South Africa making a late push for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship (WTC) final, India must win the series 4-1 to secure their spot in the 2025 WTC final without relying on the outcomes of other matches.
To achieve this, India must win the Brisbane Test. The key question ahead of the game is how the wicket is expected to behave.
India vs Australia 3rd Test: Brisbane pitch report
Here's what Mathew Hayden and Sunil Gavaskar said about Brisbane wicket "The overhead conditions are challenging, it's been wet going into the game. Cloudy conditions, there'll be plenty of assistance for the pacers, movement off the pitch, plenty of carry and batting shouldn't be easy. You need to respect the bowlers in the first two hours and then there are runs on this surface. Going further, spin will play a role going into the 4th and 5th days, it's a bowl first pitch." Contrary to the Brisbane pitch pictures circulated on media two days before the start of the test matc, the grass has been trimmed comprehensively on the day 1 of the test match.
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"Batting's not gonna be easy!" ???? ???? Watch Sunil Gavaskar & Matthew Hayden assess the pitch conditions! ????#AUSvINDOnStar ???? 3rd Test, Day 1, LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/wk3CzDCkYy
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 14, 2024
Here's what Aussies captain said about the Brisbane wicket on the eve of the match Australia captain Pat Cummins revealed on the eve of the match that the green tinge on the Gabba wicket has been reduced significantly.
"I looked at it yesterday, and it looked like a good wicket, as it has been over the last few years," said Cummins.
"A bit of sun baking it over the past couple of days means I don’t think it’s as green and leafy as it was against South Africa," he added.
Cummins was referring to the 2022 Test against South Africa at The Gabba, which ended within two days.
The 31-year-old downplayed concerns about his team's recent struggles at the venue.
"It’s just a venue, really. We play at dozens of venues each year. It’s always nice coming back to a familiar place, but the scoreboard starts at 0-0, so the venue isn’t the be-all and end-all," Cummins said.
Once an Australian stronghold, India breached the 'Gabba' barrier during the 2020-21 series, ending the hosts' unbeaten run at the ground, which dated back to 1988.
More recently, the West Indies also defeated Australia at The Gabba, thanks to pacer Shamar Joseph's heroics.
| Brisbane Cricket Ground stats and records in Tests | |
| Matches Played | 68 |
| Matches won batting 1st | 26 |
| Matches won bowling 1st | 27 |
| Average score in 1st innings | 327 |
| Average score in 2nd innings | 317 |
| Average score in 3rd innings | 238 |
| Average score in 4th innings | 161 |
India record at The Gabba in Brisbane
Indian cricket team under the leadership of different captains played 7 Tests till date in Brisbane's Gabba Stadium from 1947 to 2021.
- Total matches played: 7
- India won: 1
- India lost: 5
- Drawn: 1
| Full list of India's results at Gabba, Brisbane in Test matches | ||
| Date | Result | India captain |
| 15-Jan-21 | Won by 3 wickets | Virat Kohli |
| 17-Dec-14 | Lost by 4 wickets | MS Dhoni |
| 4-Dec-03 | Drawn | Sourav Ganguly |
| 4-Nov-91 | Lost by 10 wickets | Mohammed Azharuddin |
| 2-Dec-77 | Lost by 16 runs | Bishan Singh Bedi |
| 19-Jan-68 | Lost by 39 runs | Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (Nawab of Pataudi) |
| 28-Nov-47 | Lost by an innings and 226 runs | Lala Amarnath |
| What are the Test records at The Gabba | |
| Total Matches | 68 |
| Matches won batting first | 26 |
| Matches won bowling first | 27 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 327 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 317 |
| Average 3rd innings Score | 238 |
| Average 4th innings Score | 161 |
| Highest total recorded | 645/10 (158.6 Ov) by Australia vs England |
| Lowest total recorded | 58/10 (21.3 Ov) by India vs Australia |

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