BGT: Unrelenting rain forces stop in play for Day 1 in 3rd Test between India and Australia

Mangalore Today News Network

Australia, December 14, 2024: Fans who turned up at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, December 14 didn’t get to see a lot of action on the field as rain proved to be the villain on Day 1 of the 3rd Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The day’s play saw rain come in twice and the second one proved to be decisive as Day 1 was called off after just 13.2 overs, with the covers remaining firmly on.

India came into the contest aiming to bounce back from their trouncing at the hands of the hosts in Adelaide. Changes were expected and India made 2 changes heading into the match. The visitors would bring in Akash Deep and Ravindra Jadeja to replace Harshit Rana and R Ashwin, who failed to impress in the 2nd Test loss. India would win the toss on an overcast morning at the Gabba and the skipper Rohit Sharma proceeded to bowl first.

Swing and movement was expected and it sort of forced the Indian captain’s hand with the call. However, what happened on Saturday has left many wondering if Rohit had made the right call. The first over from Bumrah was a tight one against the struggling Usman Khawaja, but the Aussie opener didn’t look like he was being troubled.

Khawaja would play a delightful pull shot off Mohammed Siraj, who was still getting booed by the crowd. The opener scored another boundary off Bumrah to give momentum to the hosts as the first rain delay happened. The break proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Indian bowlers, who were looking to swing the ball early on. The line and length improved and the introduction of Akash Deep into the attack allowed the visitors to shackle down the Aussie openers.

The runs started to dry up a bit, but just then the clouds opened up once again and this one was more severe than the first shower. The ground quickly found itself flooded and forced early lunch to be taken in Brisbane. Fans, who were closely following the updates on social media, were treated to the images of seeing the Gabba ground being completely flooded.

However, the drainage system quickly took effect to clear some of the water from the ground as the rain reduced a bit. But it wasn’t good in the end as the rain would win in the end, as the day’s play was called off with Australia scoring 28 runs for the loss of no wickets.

The play on Day 2 and the remaining days will now start at 9:50 am local time (5:20 am IST).

Did Rohit Sharma repeat WTC Final blunder at Gabba?

When India won the toss on Saturday, many felt that they had the advantage in a crucial game. Rohit had no hesitation in bowling first as it was overcast. However, as soon as India started to bowl, the weather cleared briefly, with the sun coming out.

The pitch looked to be fine for batting, as the openers weren’t troubled in the initial phase. Michael Vaughan would tweet saying that after 4 overs, it felt like a good toss to lose in the end. This is not the first time that Rohit and India have found themselves in such a tough spot.

It was the World Test Championship final in 2023 at the Oval, when India had won the toss and seeing overcast conditions, decided to bowl first. As soon as India started to bowl, the conditions cleared up and Australia would take full advantage.

In the end, India ended up losing the title to Australia. It seems like history is slowly repeating itself at the Gabba where Rohit’s decisions are being questioned. Matthew Hayden admitted he was left surprised by Rohit’s call to bowl first on the track.

The Indian team management and the skipper made a critical error in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, which saw the Indian batting order crumble and it sort of set the tone for that disastrous series.

Rohit and his men will be hoping that they can make an impact early on. And oh, by the way, Australia haven’t lost a match at the Gabba since 1985, when they were asked to bat first. Will these calls come to haunt India? Guess, the next few days will reveal this.