With the match poised nicely, it will be all about who takes the morning session of Day 3 by the scruff of the neck as India and Australia go back into battle in this wonderful 2nd Test match at the Gabba.
India have their noses ahead just a touch after two absorbing days of Test match cricket, even if Australia, overall had a pretty satisfying second day,
Josh Hazlewood was the star with the ball for Australia in the morning on Wednesday, picking up three wickets, and five overall, to bowl India out for a lower total than they would have liked, before skipper Steven Smith played a fantastic innings to take Australia within 187 runs of India's total.
Much will depend on the first session of Day 3 – if the India bowlers get a few early wickets and keep that lead in the three-figure mark, then they will firmly be in the driver's seat, but if the Australia batsmen, particularly Smith, stays in the middle for a while then that lead will get whittled down rather quickly.
"We are ahead in the game at this point of time," said R Ashwin, who bowled decently on his return into the Test team, picking up the wicket of Shane Watson. "If we can have a good morning session tomorrow then we will be ahead in the game overall."
Smith will be the key for India, as the right-hander looks in sublime form again batting on 65 with those extra 35 runs for the hundred, and then some, looking almost inevitable.
"We are not concentrating on any one particular name," added Ashwin. "We are targeting all batsmen, top or lower order. On this sort of pitch it is easier to use your feet against the spinners, which Steve Smith did well.
"If it was a slightly difficult wicket with more footmarks, maybe I would have fancied myself more against him today. Having said that I still fancy my chances against him when play resumes tomorrow."
Australia have a pretty inexperienced batting lineup, something that India need to take advantage of. The first priority will be to ensure that Smith and Mitchell Marsh, the two overnight batsmen, do not get off to a start and build a partnership. From there, it will be all about chipping away at the wickets, while keeping things tight to get that big lead so necessary in the first innings.
For Australia, it will be simple as well – score runs, ideally quick ones, to put the pressure firmly back on the bowlers, with Smith the obvious main man for that role.
India are 1-0 down in the series, and it is them who need to force the situation, while they can also be a little bit adventurous in the knowledge that no team has ever lost in Brisbane after scoring 400 in the first innings of a Test match.
Where to Watch Live
Get Day 3 Score and Report HERE
Second Test, day three between Australia and India at the Gabba is scheduled for a 10 am local time (11 am AEDT, 5.30 am IST, 12 am GMT, 7 pm ET) with live coverage in India on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 (Hindi) and Star Sports HD1. Viewers in India can also watch the opening day of the second Test via live streaming online on Starsports.com.
Watch the Test match live on Channel 9 in Australia, while viewers can also live stream the match on Cricket Australia Live or the Cricket Australia Live App. Viewers in the Middle East can watch the match live on OSN or via live streaming online on OSN Play.
Audience in the UK catch Day 3 of the Test match 2 live on Sky Sports 2, while the live streaming option is on Sky Go or Watch Sky Sports. The 2nd Test can be watched by viewers in the USA on Willow TV or via a live stream on Willow TV Online.
