The players won’t be going back on today. The rain has stopped at the Gabba but the ground is still a little wet. The umpires have called it and we will come back tomorrow.
Australia v India fourth Test day 2: Rain halts Aussie assault at Gabba
Australia's bowlers carried the country's hopes at the Gabba - starring with both bat and ball on day two. But Brisbane's fickle weather could prove the biggest hurdle.
Test legend Allan Border slammed cricket’s archaic rules after rain took a hammer to Australia’s hopes of beating India in the series-decider at the Gabba.
India was 2-62 at tea on Saturday in reply to Australia’s first innings 369 when torrential Brisbane rain saw play abandoned after a two-hour delay, scrapping the entire final session.
With the series sitting at 1-all going into the final Test, rain delays were the last thing Australia needed in their quest to win back the trophy.
Australian captain Tim Paine shook his head when informed by umpires that play had been abandoned at 5pm local time, as per rules, despite the sun shining and the outfield mostly dry.
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Former Australia captain Border, who the Border-Gavaskar trophy the teams are playing for is named after, slammed the decision given conditions seemed playable with ample light.
"I'm feeling (Paine's) pain. The rain rule in cricket is one of the worst rules - it needs to be tightened up,” Border told Fox Cricket.
“Conditions are pretty good. There is a little bit of moisture on the surface but nothing that should be stopping the game being played, there’s nothing wrong with the run-ups or pitch.
“We’ve got a lot of people in and a big TV audience. We should be playing at least half-an-hour to an hour tonight. I can’t see any good reason why we’re not playing.
“I’ve been saying it for years that the light rule and rain rule need to be tightened up so we get more cricket played. If both sides want to play you can get out there.”
Only 12 wickets have fallen across two days with injury-ravaged India producing a mini-fightback of sorts to stay in the Test.
Rain caused multiple delays in last week’s third Test in Sydney which ended in a draw after India batted stoically on day five.
After winning the last Border-Gavaskar series 2-1 two years ago, the visitors only need a draw to take the trophy back to India.
The last drawn Test at the Gabba was when South Africa toured in 2012 and the venue has traditionally produced results, with Australia unbeaten in Brisbane since 1988.
But with only 431 runs being scored in two days, and more rain predicted, time is not on Australia’s side.
“It’s no doubt disappointing for the spectators, the crowd was pretty full,” said Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald.
“It was deemed by the umpires to be unsafe. We clearly wanted to get back out there, the spectators wanted us to get back out there, but the decision was made by the officials and it’s their call.
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“There’s no doubt if we had a bit more flexibility we could play an hour or possibly more. I feel for the spectators that stayed through that heavy downpour.
“Unfortunately it was deemed unfit and that’s their decision. We can make-up time so we probably won’t lose any overs.”
Earlier on Saturday, Australia added 95 runs to its first innings total to be bowled out for 369 on the stroke of lunch.
Tim Paine (50) and Cameron Green (47) added 37 runs to Australia’s overnight score before the hosts lost 3-4 to expose the tail.
Quick runs from tailenders Mitchell Starc (20 not out) and Nathan Lyon (24) gave Australia a respectable first innings total after winning the toss, but it was far from a dominant batting performance.
Strike bowler Pat Cummins (1-22) picked up India opener Shubman Gill (7) cheaply and India was cruising until Rohit Sharma (44) took on Lyon (1-10) and came unstuck.
Sharma became Lyon’s 397th wicket with Australia’s greatest ever off-spinner closing in on the 400-scalp milestone in his 100th Test match.
India was trailing Australia by 307 runs when rain struck with key batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara (8 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (2 not out) at the crease.
With India missing a host of players, including captain Virat Kohli, every player will need to channel the tenacious spirit they’ve shown this series to either win or draw the Test.
While the odds are stacked in Australia’s favour with runs on the board, the hosts must start making inroads to ensure they win a series they have had so many advantages in.
If not, it will be a missed opportunity for Australia heading into next month’s tough tour of South Africa and one of the great series performances by depleted India.
Updates
Stumps: Umpires call play for day two
Update: There will be another ground inspection at 4:45pm local time. If all goes well, play will start at 5pm.
Inspection is minutes away! Watch the Gabba drain away that rain 🥰 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/tnBzxHJuHf
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 16, 2021
OK, who was responsible for this?
Shane Warne's phone rings on-air not once, but twice 😂 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/EplJmRPRd6
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 16, 2021
Good news from Brisbane. The covers are coming off at the Gabba.
The umpires will inspect the field at 4:15pm local time / 5:15pm AEDST time.
When it rains in Brisbane, it really rains!
Rain delay
The covers are on at the Gabba. Hopefully this is a short delay. We will keep you posted.
Tea: India 2-62
That is it for the second session here – another pretty even one. The second wicket couldn’t have come at a worse time for India but the human wall, Cheteshwar Pujara, is still there and that’s all that matters.
There are plenty of dark clouds around the Gabba. Expect some rain in the final session.
Lyon closing in on two milestones
Nathan Lyon is on the verge of an incredible milestone – and it’s not just joining the 400 Test wicket club.
Lyon is two wickets away from joining an even more elite group, whose only members are genuine Australian cricketing royalty.
Only Shane Warne (319), Glenn McGrath (289) and Dennis Lillee (231) have taken 200 Test wickets on Australian soil, a group Lyon is poised to join at the Gabba this week.
With his crucial dismissal of Rohit Sharma, caught in the deep by Mitchell Starc after a brain fade of a dismissal, Lyon moved up to 198 scalps on home soil.
The wicket also took him to 397 total Test wickets – within sight of the magical 400 mark. He’d be the 16th Test player to notch that milestone, and just the third Australian after Warne and McGrath to do so.
We are also looking above today…
Keep an eye on Brisbane's rain radar 👀 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/15i2TtxopX
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 16, 2021
Wicket: Sharma c Starc b Lyon for 44
Oh, that is the last thing India needed.
That’s a bad mistake. Rohit Sharma tried to hit Nathan Lyon out of the Gabba, but he didn’t get all of it after dancing down the wicket.
Starc comes charging in from the deep and collects a great catch.
India was in a very good position before that wicket. It was just what the Aussies needed to flip the momentum of this game.
“That is an unbelievable shot… There is a fielder there at deep square leg,” Sunil Gavaskar says on Channel 7 commentary.
“You have just hit a boundary a couple of deliveries earlier. Why would you play that shot?
“You are a senior player. There is no excuse. Absolutely no excuse for this shot.
“An unnecessary wicket, … gifted away.”
Ajinkya Rahane now comes in. This partnership could decide the game for India.
Test wicket No.397 for Nathan Lyon 👏👏👏 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/QLpMhAdIQS
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 16, 2021
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