Test rookies Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar combined for a rearguard century stand that frustrated Australia's vaunted bowling attack and lifted India from a precarious position Sunday into almost first-innings parity in the series-deciding match.
The partnership formed with India in trouble at 186-6 in reply to Australia's 369, and with no more recognised batters in the pavilion, added 123 runs — an Indian record for the seventh wicket at the Gabba.
Thakur, in his second test, got off the mark with a six and raised his maiden test half century with another six off Nathan Lyon and topped India's scoring with a 115-ball 67. Sundar posted 62 from 144 deliveries in his debut test innings. In between the boundaries, the lower middle-order batters dodged, ducked and were hit by short balls peppered at them by the Australian fast bowlers.
The pair had been elevated to the starting lineup for the fourth test and took three wickets each over the first two days after a string of injuries to India's bowling stocks culminated in pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and leading spinner Ravichandran Ashwin being ruled out of the match in Brisbane.
When Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood (5-57) completed a five-wicket haul by clean bowling a wildly-swinging Mohammed Siraj for 13, India were all out for 336 late on day three — just a 33-run first-innings deficit.
