Brisbane: As India prepare to lock horns with Australia in the third Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the iconic Gabba in Brisbane, starting on Saturday, December 14, 2024, is facing a rain threat that could significantly impact the match. The series is currently level at 1-1, with the hosts Australia making a great comeback from their historic defeat in the Perth Test with a dominating victory in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Both teams would look to take control considering the World Test Championship (WTC) final spot at stake, but weather conditions may play a crucial role in determining the outcome of this highly anticipated clash.
Rohit Sharma's side now return to the stadium where they registered a win in 2021 that will be remembered for the ages, where they became the first visiting team to win a Test at the Gabba in 33 years with a very much inexperience lineup compared to the hosts. Notably, India were missing key players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammed Shami. This time around, India are aiming for a similar result, with their WTC25 Final hopes hanging by a thread, and a rain-threatened Brisbane Test could complicate their pursuit of a series win.
Although Brisbane has enjoyed sunny conditions leading up to the Test, forecasts indicate thunderstorms on December 14. Australia captain Pat Cummins addressed this during his pre-match conference, downplaying concerns but acknowledging the possibility of interruptions.
JUST IN: Josh Hazlewood is back for the Gabba Test! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/ikV3L6JAU6
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 13, 2024
According to AccuWeather, the temperature on Day 1 in Brisbane is expected to hover around 27 degrees Celsius, with high humidity. Rainfall probability exceeds 60%, with thunderstorms likely during the morning session. The match, scheduled to begin at 10:50 AM local time (5:30 AM IST), could see interruptions affecting Day 1.
The hosts have already received a major boost with their star pacer Josh Hazlewood returning to the mix after missing the Adelaide Test with injury as Cummins announced Australia's Playing XI for the high intense clash.
