Rain Disrupts Opening Day of Brisbane Test

The opening day of the Brisbane Test was severely affected by rain, allowing just 13.2 overs of play. Australia’s openers, Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney, remained unbeaten as they guided their team to 28 for 0 before torrential rain forced an early end to the day. India, opting to bowl first under cloudy skies after winning the toss, managed only a limited impact in the brief period of play.

India’s Bowling Plans Thwarted by Weather
India made two changes to their playing XI from the Adelaide Test, bringing in Akash Deep and Ravindra Jadeja. Despite inserting Australia to bat on a Gabba surface with some grass cover, India’s new-ball bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, struggled to find the right lines and lengths early on. Overcast conditions offered little assistance, as there was minimal swing or seam movement available.

Usman Khawaja capitalized on loose deliveries, confidently dispatching anything short or straying onto his pads. Bumrah did manage to beat the left-hander a couple of times but was unable to generate consistent threats. Of the 33 balls delivered by India before the first rain interruption, only one was projected to hit the stumps, reflecting their inability to target the batters effectively.

Curiously, Bumrah bowled only three deliveries to Nathan McSweeney during his initial six-over spell, despite dismissing him three times in the series. McSweeney, appearing untroubled, played cautiously as the Australian openers navigated the challenging conditions with composure.

Akash Deep Makes His Debut Appearance
After a half-hour rain delay, Akash Deep was introduced as the first-change bowler and made a promising start to his debut Test. Bowling full and extracting some swing, he posed questions to the batters and looked set to build pressure. However, just as India seemed to be settling into a rhythm, a second, heavier downpour brought the session to an abrupt halt.

Rain Forces Early Lunch and Wipes Out Afternoon Play
With the rain continuing to fall, an early Lunch break was called. Hopes of resuming play after the interval were dashed as persistent showers refused to relent, wiping out the entire second session. The umpires finally decided to call off the day’s play at 4:15 PM local time, much to the disappointment of players and fans.

Revised Playing Conditions for the Remainder of the Match
To make up for lost time, play on the remaining four days will begin at 9:50 AM local time, with a minimum of 98 overs scheduled each day. However, weather forecasts for the coming days indicate varying chances of rain, which could further disrupt proceedings and make it challenging for both teams to establish control in the Test.

Day 1 Overview
Despite the limited action, Australia’s openers will take confidence from their assured start, especially Khawaja, who looked solid during his unbeaten 19. For India, the stop-start nature of the day’s play hampered their efforts to exploit the conditions, and they will hope for clearer skies and a better bowling display on Day 2.

Brief Scores:
Australia 28/0 (Usman Khawaja 19*) vs India