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The resistance from Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah did not last long on Day 5 of the third Test at The Gabba. Travis Head wrapped up India's first innings with the wicket of Deep as soon as Pat Cummins introduced him into the attack. As India were bowled out for 260, Australia had a lead of 185 runs and the openers were raring to go out to the middle. However, they could not go out to bat due to extreme weather conditions.
It was not rain but lightning that prevented the game from progressing on Day 5. Australian openers Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja were ready to go out to the middle and Deep was already marking his run-up when the warning was displayed on the screen at the stadium.
"Severe weather is expected any moment. Please seek shelter from exposed areas of the venue and follow the directions of event staff," the warning message on the big screen said.
What does the protocol say?
As players waited for the lightning to stop, former international umpire Simon Taufel on 7Cricket's broadcast explained that they have to follow a 30/30 rule as part of the protocol. If the on-field umpires see lightning or hear a thunderclap within 30 seconds, they will stop play and head back to the dressing room.
Rain spoils Cummins' plans
After lightning interrupted play early in the first session, rain played spoilsport leading to further delay in play. The first session is likely to get washed out due to rain.
Meanwhile, the Gabba Test is headed for a draw. Had rain not intervened, Australia would have looked to score quickly and set a challenging target for India. The hosts would have set a target just enough to keep India interested and take the extra risk considering Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out due to injury. It would have been a double-edged sword but nevertheless a chance to take a 2-1 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
If the third Test in Brisbane ends in a draw, both teams will share four points each and retain their respective positions despite a decrease in win percentage on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 table.
