Australia Vs India : Border-Gavaskar Third Test Marred by Rain on Opening Day

The wicket remains under rain covers as play is delayed during the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba

Rain wreaks havoc in Brisbane, leaving Australia and India frustrated as the first day of the third Test is nearly washed out.

Rain played spoilsport on the opening day of the third Test between India and Australia in Brisbane, leaving Indian bowlers frustrated and wicketless. Play was abandoned with Australia at 28-0 after just 13.2 overs, as Usman Khawaja remained unbeaten on 19 and Nathan McSweeney on four at a rain-soaked Gabba.

India's captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to field, hoping to exploit the overcast conditions. However, those plans were thwarted when rain interrupted play in the sixth over, halting proceedings for about 30 minutes before an early lunch was called. Persistent downpours later forced officials to call off play, disappointing the 30,145-strong crowd.

The Gabba pitch, with its green tinge, promised to test Australia's top order, but the spongy surface offered minimal movement for India’s bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah looked threatening during his opening spell, consistently beating Khawaja’s bat, but his fellow pacers bowled too short, failing to capitalize on the conditions. Khawaja took advantage, dispatching Mohammed Siraj for a couple of elegant pull shots before rain intervened.

India, trailing 1-1 in the five-Test series, made two changes to their XI, with Ravindra Jadeja replacing Ravichandran Ashwin and Akash Deep coming in for Harshit Rana. Australia brought back Josh Hazlewood, recovered from a side injury, in place of Scott Boland.

Rohit, under pressure due to his lackluster batting form, remains at number six in the order, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal continuing as openers. Speaking after the toss, Rohit said, “There’s a lot of grass and it looks a little soft as well, so we want to make the best use of the conditions with the ball upfront. The mood in the dressing room is absolutely buzzing.”

India will now look to day two to make an impact with the ball and aim for early breakthroughs to push for a decisive result in the series.