Rain ruins opening day of Gabba Test but India gamble might've ...

Although only 13 overs were completed on the opening day of what shapes as a pivotal Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane, that did not make it any less intriguing as the shadow-boxing between India and Australia continued.

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Aside from calculations as to exactly how much rain had fallen from one hour to the next — the Bureau of Meteorology found itself run out well before lunch with its prediction of 7mm at a maximum — some cricket was played and meaningful decisions made on Saturday.

Undoubtedly influenced by the overcast skies as much as the likelihood that his shirt was sticking to his back given the extreme humidity, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opted to send the hosts into bat after winning the toss.

Pat Cummins lost the toss but India sent Australia in.Source: Getty Images

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It was noted by former England captain Michael Vaughan that it was a “good toss to lose” given the difficulties of balancing the impact of the weather against the opportunity to bat first on a wicket that, to date, does not appear to be a lively “green mamba”.

The merits of that decision cannot properly be judged until this Test is decided, but on the brief evidence at hand, the Australians have their nose ahead after Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney survived to reach 0-28 before torrential rain set in about midday.

But it does suggest India believes its best chance against Australia is to expose its top order to the brilliant Jasprit Bumrah and his support bowlers as quickly as possible, particularly if the conditions look challenging.

Bumrah, in particular, proved exceptionally tricky once again and managed to beat the bat of Khawaja, who faced the opening ball, a number of times in the infancy of the Australian innings. But he did not snare the edge the Indians would have hoped for early on.

And nor were the Indians able to extract significant swing with the ball, despite the sweaty conditions that preceded the Biblical onset of rain, though Akash Deep did manage to find some movement in the air when introduced after an initial break for weather.

The plays and misses aside, both Khawaja and McSweeney appeared relatively untroubled when compared to the thunder and lightning bolts they were confronted with from Bumrah in the first two Tests of the series in Perth and Adelaide.

Aside from the one over he bowled in the second Test in Adelaide, it is the first time the new Australian combination has managed to survive Bumrah’s opening blitz for the series, which is a step forward for both the veteran opener and newcomer at the top of the order.

Khawaja, in particular, looked to be in reasonable form and was quick to pounce whenever the ball was dropped short, with a beautifully timed pull shot that rattled to the boundary for four in Mohammed Siraj’s second over an illustration.

Siraj, who faced a disciplinary hearing after his altercation with Travis Head in Adelaide last weekend, was booed from the moment he took the ball in Brisbane and is certain to bear the status as the pantomime villain for the remainder of the series.

Australia's Nathan McSweeney (R) and Usman Khawaja.Source: AFP

While Khawaja forecast prior to the Test that he is considering playing on until at least the Ashes next year, Fox Cricket expert Brendon Julian said in a preview before play that the 37-year-old should consider retiring while still on top.

“I actually think he probably should finish up this series in Australia (and) go out on a high,” Julian told Fox Sports Australia.

“I just don’t like it when players try and hang on that little bit longer and, as you get older and when you’re batting, you’re opening the batting against quality bowling with new balls. That is very, very difficult and as you get older, you’re just not as sharp.

“I know they can come out and say ‘My body feels great. My mind feels great’. But at the end of the day, you’re on that slide when you get older. And particularly when you’re opening the batting, it’s not easy.

“So for me personally, I think he should finish up this summer, but go out on a high. It would be a great way to finish his career.”

On his adopted home oval, Khawaja finished unbeaten on 19 from 47 deliveries, which included three fours. McSweeney was happier to take stock and sneak quick singles on occasion. Playing in the state he was raised, the Queenslander was 4 not out rom 33 deliveries.

The Australians, as already declared, switched Josh Hazlewood for the unlucky Scott Boland. Although Hazlewood was cleared fit to play, the effective washout has given the champion fast bowler and also Mitch Marsh additional time to freshen up before bowling.

India opted for two changes, with Deep replacing Harshit Rana after he proved a little wayward in Adelaide, which Ravindra Jadeja replaces Ravichandran Ashwin. It means the Indians will have used all three spinners so far after Washington Sundar played in Perth. Given the rain in Brisbane on Saturday, play will resume at 9.50am (10.50AEDST) on Sunday and for the remainder of the Test, with a minimum 98 overs to be bowled on each of the final four days, as needed.

India's Rohit Sharma (C) appeals unsuccessfully for a caught-behind against Australia's Nathan McSweeney.Source: AFP

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Australia are 0-28 from 13.2 overs at stumps after India won the toss and sent them in to bat in the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, with Usman Khawaja (19) and Nathan McSweeney (4) at the crease.

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Stumps was called at early in the third session after rain unfortunately wiped out most of day one at The Gabba.

Rain threatens to wash out the rest of day one at The Gabba, but Australia can make India pay when play resumes.

Steve Smith’s poor recent form has been a hot topic of late after he slipped outside the ICC’s top 10 batters for the first time in a decade.

However, Michael Vaughan and Kerry O’Keeffe believe a big score is just around the corner for the champion batter.

“Steve Smith is outside the top 10 ICC batters in the world for the first time in 10 years,” Vaughan said.

“He is a player that has just struggled of late in terms of numbers when you look at his average from the last couple of seasons after the Ashes it’s 27.42.

“It’s numbers we have not seen from Steve Smith before in his career.

“In the one day series against Pakistan his footwork looked like it was back.

“When you look at his dismissals so far in this series he got a couple of good balls in Perth and was caught down the leg side.

“When you get caught down the leg side you say that teams have a plan to bowl a bit straighter. I’m not too sure whether that issue is alive.

“This week here at the Gabba I think is a big week for him personally. I think he needs a number by his name.”

O’Keeffe conceded Smith is closer to the end of his career, but is confident he still has the class to turn his form slump around.

“He’s 35, he is in the twilight of his career,” O’Keeffe said.

“But I tell you it is all set up here. He is a track specialist. He could have won that Test against the West Indies last year. He got 91 not out opening the batting.

“If this pitch loses its tinge and he goes in with a platform I think he can go big here, Steve Smith.”

Vaughan defended Smith’s lean trot this series and put it down to better bowling rather than poor shot selection.

“I look at dismissals and I look at the three dismissals this series and I think he is just going through one of those periods that you go through,” Vaughan said.

“The first one nipped back it's a beauty. The second one he gets one that nips away, it's a good ball. Then he gets one down the leg side.

“So of the three dismissals you kind of go, there is not a great deal he can do about any of them.

“He just needs to get a start and get to 20 or 30 and then if he gets himself in he is going to make it count.”

However, Brendon Julian warned Smith needs to find a way to combat the plans that opposition teams have worked out work against him.

“There is no doubt over the years teams have changed their approach to him and they are bowling a lot straighter,” Julian said.

“They have got the four down the leg side to catch him around the corner or maybe one at mid-wicket.

“That is something that he knows they are trying to do that and he has got to get on the other side of that.”

O’Keeffe challenged Smith to back his stock shot, which is his unusual take on the cover drive to get back in touch.

“When he is in his full pomp he is smacking it with his bottom hand through cover,” O’Keeffe said.

“That’s the key. Joe Root cover drives with his top hand in control. Steve Smith has flipped that completely.

“He cover drives with his bottom hand governing the bat face. I’ve never seen a cover drive like it, but when he is at his best that’s where he is going and they have taken that shot away from him.

“If he rediscovers that here and this ends up being a really good batting pitch on day two and day three and he gets that going against them he could go large here.”

EARLIER

For the second time on day one rain has delayed play with the covers coming onto the Gabba.

Michael Vaughan believes Australian skipper Pat Cummins would have been more than happy to have lost the toss, with India’s decision to bowl first called into question.

“It was one of those decisions at the toss where I think Pat Cummins was absolutely delighted to have lost it,” Vaughan said.

“Good one to lose,” Brendon Julian interjected.

“He didn’t have to make the call,” Vaughan continued.

“Probably would have swayed on batting due to the history of this venue, but I think he was quite happy Rohit Sharma said we will have a bowl first.”

Julian believes the pitch in the days leading up to the first day probably swayed India’s thinking.

“I think the lead up to this Test was a lot of rain and when the players came out for their practice sessions before they had a look at it and it was green,” Julian said.

“But out there this morning I didn’t think it was a bowl first pitch this morning.”

Play resumed after a short rain delay with Usman Khawaja smashing a pull shot for four as Australia are 0-23 from 6 overs.

Earlier rain delayed play at The Gabba, with Australia 0-19 from 5.3 overs with the covers coming onto the field.

But after a short delay the covers are coming off at The Gabba with play set to resume on day one of the third Test.

Usman Khawaja survived the first over from Jasprit Bumrah with four leg byes the only runs as Australia are on 0-4.

India’s pace bowler and Australia’s tormentor Mohammed Siraj was booed by the Gabba crowd after coming on in his first over with Australia 0-4 after two overs.

It comes after his public battle with Travis Head during the second Test at Adelaide Oval.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has won the toss and asked Australia to bat first at the Gabba. Australia has not lost a Test match in Brisbane after being sent in since 1985.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been recalled, while Akash Deep returns to the starting XI in place of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Usman Khawaja’s form is under fresh scrutiny heading into the third Test against India at the Gabba, with former Australian fast bowler Brendon Julian suggesting that the veteran opening batter should retire after this series.

“Opening the batting in this series has been extremely difficult and I think as you get older – he’s 37 … I know he’s come out in the press and said ‘I’d like to make it to the next Ashes series. I just can’t see that personally,” Julian told FOX Sports News.

“I actually think he probably should finish up this series in Australia, go out on a high. I just don’t like it when players try and hang on that little bit longer and as you get older and when you’re batting, you’re opening the batting against quality bowling with new balls. That is very, very difficult and as you get older, you’re just not as sharp.

“I know they can come out and say my body feels great, my mind feels great, but at the end of the day, you’re on that slide when you get older. And particularly when you’re opening the batting, it’s not easy. So for me personally, I think he should finish up this summer but go out on a high. It would be a great way to finish his career.

“He’s been the comeback kid, he’s been a phenomenal batsman for Australia at the top of the order, it has not been easy for him. And I’d like to see him finish on a high, rather than try to hang on and then the media speculation gets about him being dropped and all those type of things.”

Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney walk from the field after winning the Adelaide Test.Source: Getty Images

INDIA’S HEAD FAILURE IN SPOTLIGHT

India enters the third Test under scrutiny for its failure to contain Aussie batting linchpin Travis Head, with questions as to why he hasn’t copped a bouncer barrage.

A green Gabba wicket may prove the perfect chance to test theory, which former India player Aakash Chopra put on the agenda after a 10-wicket loss in Adelaide in which Head made a first-innings 140.

“Did we bowl bouncers to Head? You have to bowl bouncers on Head’s head. Until we do that, he doesn’t get out and keeps troubling us. He has done that earlier and is doing it now also. He did that in the World Cup final and the WTC final as well,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

The theory has grown legs in the Indian media ahead of the Gabba clash.

“Head does have a chink in his armour and a few teams have exploited that to keep him in check -- by bowling well-directed bouncers at his body. India, however, have been averse to use that option against him. It’s not like they don’t have bowlers capable of bowling those lines,” wrote Madhu Jawali in the Deccan Herald.

“In Adelaide, he was hardly tested with short-balls on his body and if multiple reports are to be believed, he faced just four such deliveries. While their reluctance to use the short-ball tactic so far is strange to say the least, one can only hope better sense would prevail.”

WHAT IS THE WEATHER FORECAST?

Of course, there is a chance both teams may have to wait until Sunday for the third Test to get underway, with showers and a possible thunderstorm forecast for Brisbane on Saturday.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting between zero and 15 millimetres of rain, with a “high chance” of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon.

HAZLEWOOD CLEARED, ROHIT NO-SHOW

Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood was cleared of injury Friday and will return for the third Test against India at the expense of Scott Boland as play gets underway on Saturday.

While there are no other changes for Australia’s starting side in Brisbane, there is more uncertainty surrounding how India’s batting line-up could look like, especially after a press conference no-show.

India are determined to post a big first innings total at Brisbane, batsman Shubman Gill said Friday after they were skittled cheaply in Adelaide.

The visitors were dismissed for just 180 in the second day-night Test after winning the toss and opting to bat, with the hosts then compiling 337.

India made only 175 in their second knock, leaving Australia a meagre 19 to win.

“As a team, as a batting group we are looking to post a big total first up,” said number three Gill.

“That’s been one of the key discussions. Every batsman will have their own game plan, but as a group collectively we will try to get a big first innings score.”

In the wake of the Adelaide defeat, which left the five-Test series poised at 1-1, skipper Rohit Sharma was critical of the batting, including his own poor form.

“That is the disappointing part, that we didn’t bat well enough,” he said at the time.

“Probably were 30-40 runs short with the bat in the first innings.”

Rohit, who missed the first Test in Perth, came in at number six in Adelaide, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul retained at the top.

There has been talk that he could revert to opener in Brisbane, but he failed to front the traditional pre-match captain’s press conference to discuss the issue.

Asked why Rohit was a no-show, Gill alluded to training on Friday being optional and not compulsory.

“I think he practised enough,” he said.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been carrying a minor groin injury picked up in Adelaide, but trained on Thursday and is expected to be fit.

Whether India keep faith with young seamer Harshit Rana remains to be seen. He failed to get a wicket in the second Test and Akash Deep is a potential replacement.

Despite being thrashed by 10 wickets in Adelaide, Gill remains optimistic about their Brisbane chances.

“We’ve won the last few series (against Australia),” he said.

“So there’s no fear. Perhaps if we hadn’t won, maybe.”

- AFP