Rain disrupts Day 1 of India-Australia 3rd Test in Brisbane
The first day of the third Test between India and Australia, part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, was heavily affected by rain. Just 13.2 overs were bowled before the weather called off the day's play at the Gabba, Brisbane. Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney took the score to 28 without loss. The series is currently tied at 1-1, making this match important for both teams.
India's bowling struggles and persistent rain interruptions
Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first. However, despite the conditions being in their favor, the Indian bowlers failed to make the most of it. Their inconsistent lines and lengths allowed Australian openers Khawaja (19*) and McSweeney (4*) to settle in comfortably. Intermittent rain saw multiple interruptions throughout the day, with no further play possible after tea due to steady showers.
Weather forecast suggests potential disruptions in coming days
The weather forecast for the rest of the Test indicates possible interruptions due to rain. However, a slight improvement is expected on Day 2, giving some hope for uninterrupted play. Nevertheless, the forecast for the last three days of the Test is similar to Day 1 with possible rain interruptions. Notably, the match will have an early start on Day 2, at 5:20am IST.
Here are the changes in the XIs
Australia's fast bowler Josh Hazlewood returned to the XI after missing the second Test due to a side strain. He has replaced Scott Boland, despite the latter's strong performance in second match in Adelaide. There are no other changes in the Aussie XI. For India, spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Akash Deep have replaced R Ashwin and Harshit Rana.
Here are the playing XIs
Australia (Playing XI): Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood. India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
