PLAY was abandoned on the opening day of the third Test between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane after persistent rain disrupted proceedings on Saturday.
Australia ended the day at 28-0, with Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 19 and Nathan McSweeney not out on four. Earlier, India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field.
The first session saw just 13.2 overs bowled before rain intervened, disappointing the large crowd gathered at the Gabba. While the weather eased at times and allowed water on the outfield to drain quickly, consistent rain left areas still affected. Umpires eventually called off play midway through the final session.
Play is set to begin 30 minutes earlier over the next four days, with a minimum of 98 overs scheduled daily. However, while Sunday’s forecast looks promising, more rain is expected early next week.
After a week of heavy rain in Brisbane, India’s bowlers would have anticipated help from the conditions, but they struggled to make an impact. Jasprit Bumrah appeared to lack pace early on, while Mohammed Siraj was also unable to trouble the batsmen.
Rain interrupted play 25 minutes into the game, leading to a half-hour delay. Upon resumption, Akash Deep managed to find the right length, generating movement in the air and off the pitch. He posed problems for McSweeney, but heavier rain brought a second interruption 35 minutes later, eventually leading to the day’s abandonment.
The five-match series is evenly poised at 1-1, with India dominating the first Test in Perth and Australia bouncing back with a commanding victory in Adelaide.
For this match, Australia welcomed back Josh Hazlewood, replacing Scott Boland as Hazlewood returned from a side strain. India made two changes, bringing in Ravindra Jadeja and Akash Deep in place of Ravichandran Ashwin and Harshit Rana.
(With inputs from agencies)
England's Jamie Overton celebrates after taking the wicket of West Indies' Gudakesh Motie. Reuters/Andrew Boyers