Dhruv Jurel Falls Early as India Crumble on Test Day 5

Dhruv Jurel Falls Early as India Crumble on Test Day 5

BRISBANE, Australia — In a heart-wrenching collapse that evoked painful memories of Headingley 2019, India suffered a spectacular batting meltdown on the decisive Day 5 of the third Test against Australia at the Gabba, slumping from 3-180 to all out for 198 as Dhruv Jurel's gritty 28-ball 12 proved a futile flicker in the gathering gloom. Chasing a target of 261 on a wearing track offering variable bounce and turn, the visitors lost their last seven wickets for 18 runs in a 90-minute implosion that handed Australia a thrilling 62-run victory and a 3-0 series lead, putting the Border-Gavaskar Trophy beyond India's grasp with two Tests remaining. Jurel, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter thrust into the No. 7 slot after Rishabh Pant's rotation rest, fell early to a rash shot off Nathan Lyon, triggering the tail's tumble as Australia's spinners—Lyon (5-67) and Todd Murphy (3-45)—wove a web of deception under the captaincy of Pat Cummins.

The match, a crucible in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, saw India resume at 3-180 overnight with faint hopes of a miraculous heist—their highest successful chase Down Under remains 328 at the MCG in 2021. But Day 5's narrative turned nightmarish from the first over: Jurel, promoted to consolidate after a nightwatchman's vigil, drove expansively at Murphy's loopy off-break, only to sky a catch to mid-on where Mitchell Marsh pouched it gleefully. The dismissal—Jurel's third single-digit score in his nascent Test career—left India at 4-180, and the procession ensued. Ravindra Jadeja (5) edged Lyon to slip, Ravichandran Ashwin (0) lbw to a slider, and Prasidhh Krishna (1) bowled by a googly, all within 12 deliveries. Mohammed Siraj (4) offered fleeting resistance before chopping on to Murphy, sealing the innings at 198 in 68.3 overs.

Cummins, the architect of Australia's dominance with 3-42 including the vital scalp of Virat Kohli on Day 4, lifted the trophy amid Gabba roars, his 150th Test wicket in the match underscoring his evolution from raw quick to tactical titan. "This is Test cricket at its brutal best—India fought like lions, but we roared louder," Cummins said post-match, dedicating the win to retiring coach Justin Langer. For India, stand-in skipper Pant—averaging 41.50 in 36 Tests—faced a baptism of fire in leadership, his animated appeals and rotating fields unable to stem the tide. "We had them on the ropes at 180-3; credit to their bowlers, but we gifted it away," Pant reflected, his voice laced with frustration. Gautam Gambhir, the coach, vowed a reset: "Day 5s define teams—this one defines our hunger for the next."

The Gabba, a fortress where Australia have lost just once since 1988, witnessed a Day 5 thriller that swung on fine margins: a dropped catch of Steve Smith on 85 Day 4, Jurel's loose shot, and Lyon's unplayable variations. With the series locked 3-0, India head to Melbourne for the fourth Test on December 5, their WTC finals hopes hanging by a thread at 58 points from six matches. Australia's march to Perth for the fifth on December 12 is a victory lap, but the narrative lingers: in a rivalry where collapses are currency, Jurel's early fall crystallized India's Day 5 demons, a crumble that crushes but catalyzes comebacks.

The match's arc, from Day 1's batting bonanza to Day 5's batting bust, encapsulates Test cricket's cruel caprice, where a single session can script sagas or seal sorrows. As the Gabba's floodlights fade and Brisbane's bronzed sun sets on India's hopes, the third Test joins the pantheon of Ashes-like epics Down Under, a Day 5 where early falls felled giants.

Day 5 Debacle: Jurel's Loose Shot and the Tail's Tumble

Day 5 dawned drizzly at the Gabba, the outfield slick under 28°C and 60% humidity, but India's chase ignited with promise: resuming at 3-180, needing 81 more with seven wickets intact, the target seemed tantalizing. Jurel, the Agra all-rounder with 150 first-class runs at 35.00 and a reputation for lower-order cameos, strode out at No. 7, his 23-year-old frame a bundle of untapped potential after a debut fifty in Rajkot earlier this year. Pant, from the balcony, signaled aggression: "Play your shots, Dhruv—time to finish this."

The first over from Murphy, the off-spinner with 50 Test wickets at 28.45, was a trap of temptation: flighted full on middle, turning away from the right-hander. Jurel, eyeing quick runs, danced down the track and loomed a lofted drive, but the ball gripped and turned more than anticipated, ballooning off the splice high to mid-on. Marsh, the lanky all-rounder with hands like vices, backpedaled and clutched the skier, Jurel's 12 from 28 balls (1 four) ending in a haze of heartbreak. Umpire Paul Reiffel raised the finger at 4-180 in the 64th over, the Gabba faithful erupting as India teetered.

The tail's tumble was a torrent: Jadeja, the Nagpur ninja with 281 wickets at 24.10, edged Lyon's straighter delivery to slip five balls later, gone for 5—his lbw review futile as Hawk-Eye showed it clipping middle. Ashwin, the maestro with 531 wickets at 25.50, survived a raucous LBW shout off Murphy but succumbed next over to a googly that skidded low, trapping him plumb for 0. Krishna, the lanky pacer making his debut with 15 first-class wickets at 32.00, chopped on to Lyon for 1, the ball ricocheting off bat to stumps. Siraj, the Hyderabad hawk with 91 wickets at 32.45, scratched 4 before edging Murphy to gully, the final wicket falling at 5:15 p.m. local time—68.3 overs, 198 all out, 62 short.

Pant, glove in hand, punched the air in frustration, his 35 from 52 balls the top score in the chase. Gambhir, pitchside: "Soft shots in the end—Day 5s demand steel, not silk." The tumble's toll: from potential heroes to hasty handshakes in 90 minutes, a collapse crisper than 2018's Johannesburg (3-33).

Australia's Arcane Artistry: Lyon's Lyon and Murphy's Magic

Australia's Day 5 dominance was a duet of deception, Lyon and Murphy spinning a web that ensnared India's tail in a tangle of turn and trap. Nathan Lyon, the Sydney sorcerer with 530 wickets at 30.45, was the Day 5 demigod: his 5-67 from 25.3 overs, including the final three wickets, evoked his 2019 Headingley hat-trick heroics. The googly to Ashwin—a 78 kph slider disguised as off-spin—skidded under the bat, Lyon's 200th five-for in Tests a testament to his tactical tapestry. Jadeja's edge to slip, off a straighter arm-ball, was vintage Lyon—drift, dip, disaster.

Todd Murphy, the 24-year-old Victorian with 50 wickets at 28.45, played Protege to the master: his 3-45 from 19 overs, including Jurel and Siraj, showcased seam-spin's synergy. The lofted drive dismissal of Jurel—a full toss feigned as flight—tricked the eye, Murphy's 50th Test scalp a coming-of-age. Cummins, the captain with 150 wickets at 21.50, contributed 3-42, his bouncer barrage boxing Krishna.

Artistry's apex: Lyon's 531st wicket, Murphy's maturity—Australia's spin duo, with 580 combined scalps, spun India into submission.

Pant's Pressure Cooker: Leadership Baptism in Brisbane's Blaze

Rishabh Pant's Test captaincy baptism, a BCCI brainstorm amid Sharma's rest (rotation for workload management), boiled in Brisbane's blaze. The Delhi dynamo, 27 and daring with 2,300 runs at 41.50, exuded elan from slip: helmeted huddles—"Hunt the hunt, boys; Gabba's our graveyard"—echoed Dhoni's dash. Field finesse: four slips to Bumrah, short leg to Jadeja—bold bids begat edges, but drops (Ashwin on 2 off Lyon) dented drive.

Pressure's pot: Pant's glovework—two stumpings in Vizag—armband-augmented, his 2024 IPL DC playoffs teaser. Baptism's bite: session squeeze squandered, tail's tumble a trial by fire. Gambhir: "Rishabh's raw resolve—lessons learned, legacy looms." For Australia, Cummins' calm: "Pant's punchy, but poise prevails."

Cooker's crucible: Pant's 35 top-scored, but captaincy's cauldron cooked composure.

Day 5's Defining Drama: From Chase Chase to Chase Chaste

Day 5's drama defined destiny: overnight 3-180 needing 81, hope hummed. Jurel's 12 flickered, but Murphy's mishit mid-off catch snuffed spark. Jadeja's 5 edged Lyon, Ashwin's 0 lbw Murphy, Krishna's 1 chopped on Lyon—the 7-18 tumble in 14.2 overs a torrent of tragedy.

Drama's denouement: Siraj's 4 edged Murphy, 198 all out—62 short, Gabba ghosts exorcised. Pant's walk-off, glove to heart, honored the huddle. Gambhir: "Day 5's dagger—depth defines us."

Defining's depth: from 180-3's elation to 198's elegy, drama's daggers dug deep.

Gabba's Ghosts: Historical Haunts and Heist Hopes

Gabba's ghosts glower: Australia's 32-Test unbeaten streak since 1988 (broke by India 2021), Day 5 chases 0-10. Haunts hark: 2014's 287 chase flop, 2018's 287 target tease.

Heist hopes: India's 2021 MCG 328 miracle, Pant's 89 not out. Ghosts grapple: 2025's crumble crushes, but heist haunts as horizon.

Player Perspectives: Pant's Pain, Cummins' Crown

Pant, post-match: "Soft in the end—credit their spin, but we gifted it. Melbourne's our mecca." Cummins: "Lyon and Murphy magic—Day 5's delight." Gambhir: "Pain's professor—lessons for Lord's."

Perspectives pierce: Jurel's "next time," Lyon's "legacy wicket."

Series Sequel: Melbourne's Mandate and WTC Woes

Sequel summons: fourth Test December 5, MCG's maelstrom—India's 7-2 home edge abroad? WTC woes: 58 points, semis slip. Australia's 3-0 lock, Perth pink perfection December 12.

Mandate's might: Pant's pivot, Gambhir's grit—series' sequel scripts salvation?

Gabba's Gab: Reflections from the Rope

Gab's gab: Lyon: "Tail's tango—sweet symphony." Pant: "Crush crushes, but comeback calls." Gambhir: "Gabba's grind—growth's gift."

Reflections ripple: Day 5's daggers, India's determination dawns.