And then there was drama. Finally. Maybe even against the course of the game. Of the most unlikely kind. Incorporating the most unlikely subjects. In the most unlikely situations.

After another day of repeated pitter-patter and multiple stops and starts, the third test had reached a crucial turning point. Unexpectedly. But probably inevitably. Not just in terms of the future of the game, but the future of the series, maybe even the rivalry.

India now had only their last pair at the goal line. Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep. They still needed 33 runs to escape injury, a task made much more difficult by the departure of the well-fielded Ravindra Jadeja after a courageous innings.

Australia was thrilled. Australia was pumped. They had lost Josh Hazlewood for the rest of the Test summer due to a calf strain later in the day. But Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc ran with all their might, braving the extreme humidity and the extra workload caused by the absence of their fast bowling counterpart. At that moment they seemed undeterred by the prospect of what lay ahead, should they actually manage to restrict the visitors to a first-innings total of 246. A full day of trying to beat the Indians with a three-man attack. After all, it was their only chance to achieve a result. To once again push the under-pressure Indian batting line-up into a corner. And both superstar fast bowlers were determined to give the final push.

Just like Bumrah and Akash were supposed to thwart Starc and Cummins’ final surge. But neither of the two pursuers thought about surviving. Instead, they focused solely on getting India over the finish line to safety, depriving the home team of their only likely chance of breathing life into the heavily rain-affected Test.

It wasn’t quite R Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari at the SCG four years ago. Both Bumrah and Akash made full use of their limbs and abilities, unlike the two of them on that memorable evening in Sydney.

Kapil Dev wasn’t quite the same in 1990 either when he hit four sixes from Eddie Hemmings to save his replacement at Lord’s. Even though soon after completing his mission, Akash hit Pat Cummins with a sixer that was as huge and impressive as any that Kapil had smashed on that historic day in London.

If there is still one day left, it always makes sense to leave a small window of opportunity for a miracle or a surprising turn of events that might still help us achieve a result. But considering that’s unlikely, it’s safe to assume that the unbeaten 39-run stand for the last wicket will see teams head to Melbourne later this week with nothing, that separates them.

The Gabba was not as crowded as the first two days. There were only about 6,100 spectators. Most of them are Indian fans waving their flags and chanting hoarsely.

But not when Jadeja was brilliantly caught when my Mitch Marsh fired an aerial hook in front of Cummins. The mood around the Gabba was still not quite as doom and gloom as it had been when Rohit Sharma was caught by his counterpart earlier in the afternoon, leaving India reeling at 5/74. It wasn’t quite as awesome as when Steve Smith flung himself to his right and took a screaming catch to get rid of KL Rahul. It wasn’t quite as depressing as it was every time the rain came and the players had to leave the field.

This was more real tension. Especially when Akash in particular started directing the attack at the Australians and pulling India closer to its intended target. Although it was Bumrah who fired the first shot, superbly hitting Cummins over long leg for a six.

It was a five-over burst with both fast bowlers operating in tandem. While Starc continued to attack the stumps and body, Cummins was extremely careful and precise with the fields he laid. He changed his fields to Akash ball by ball.

The Indian flags were no longer waved with enthusiasm. The roar of the Indian fans was largely muted, only sounding every time one of Bumrah or Akash managed to put the bat on the ball.

They held on to every run. Every little push into the on-side from Bumrah, every hit on the ground or through the off-side from Akash. The crowd came to life as the No.11, clearly a few positions below his intended role, beat Starc across the gully for the decisive boundary goal. This took the partnership to 19, with India needing another 14 to let Australia bat again. That was the end of Starc for the evening as he bent over after a masterful effort and stood with his hands on his knees.

Cummins next turned to Nathan Lyon, hoping to entice Bumrah and Akash to try their luck instead of getting them caught. At least that seemed to be the plan based on the field intended for the off-spinner. Instead, the No. 10 and No. 11 were content to push and push Lyon around and settle for individual players.

12 are needed now.

Cummins returned for Starc in the Vulture Street End. The field was set up for the short ball with no fielders on the ground. Akash responded by driving the ball to the ground for a single. Bumrah then also rode the jump to score a single towards fine-leg. Then there were two more hits from Akash’s bat to the ground, resulting in long deliveries. Two runs each. Cummins now wanted to change his line. Nathan McSweeney got to the stupid point with Travis Head under cover at short leg. It was a bluff as the Australian captain went full and almost made Akash play to his stumps, but the right-hander escaped with a single. Now only 5 are needed.

There were certainly a few attempts on the next visit to Lyon and although Bumrah’s eyes lit up, he remained disciplined enough to simply tuck them under the covers rather than try anything intrusive. This happened after Akash picked up a single on the first delivery.

4 are needed now. One border away. One shot away.

It was probably the quietest period there had been at the Gabba in the four days of suspended action as Cummins ran to bowl to the Bengal fast bowler. The first ball whizzed past his bat and hit him on the thigh pad. However, no damage was caused. The Indian fans breathed a sigh of relief again. But they held their breath again as Cummins charged at them again. It was a long ball with some width, and as he had against Starc, Akash hit it with gusto, catching enough off the edge for the ball to fly past McSweeney’s outstretched left hand and gallop past the ropes.

Akash had done it. India had done it. There were some scenes of great joy and celebration in the Indian dressing room. Rohit Sharma smiled. Virat Kohli clenched his fists. Even Gautam Gambhir smiled. He was even a bit lively. The Indian fans had also come alive. This was not only a recognition of what the last pair had achieved for India, but also what this could mean for the rest of the series. Late drama at the Gabba. Courtesy of an unlikely duo in the most unlikely of situations.