Rain might play spoilsport in the ongoing third Test between India and Australia which kicked off on December 14 at the Gabba Cricket Ground in Brisbane. Persistent rain disrupted the Day 1 of the game which got washed out after just 13.5 overs, with Australia reaching a modest score of 28/0, with Usman Khawaja (19 off 47) and Nathan McSweeney (4 off 23) unbeaten. Unfortunately, the downpour continued, forcing the match officials to call off the Day 1's play. With the weather forecast predicting more rain for the remaining four days of the Test, there's a strong possibility that the entire match could be washed out.
But India would not want the third Test to get washed out as such an outcome might come as serious setback for them as far as India's World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 final qualification is concerned. A washout would mean a loss of crucial points, potentially denting their chances of securing a place in the coveted final.
How will India qualify for WTC final if rain washes out 3rd Test vs AUS?
If the current Test match is abandoned due to rain, it will be declared a draw. This would leave the series level at 1-1 with two more matches to go. In this scenario, India would need to win both their remaining matches to automatically qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa in June.
However, if India manage to win the series 2-1 by winning one of their remaining matches and drawing the other, their qualification would depend on the outcome of the Sri Lanka-Australia series in late January and early February. Sri Lanka would need to win at least one of those matches for India to secure their place in the final.
Alternatively, if Australia win either of their remaining matches, India's qualification would hinge on the results of the Pakistan-South Africa series in January. In this case, Pakistan would need to sweep the series 2-0, or Sri Lanka would need to defeat Australia 2-0 for India to advance to the final.
This is how the weather report for IND vs AUS 3rd Test looks like
The weather forecast for the remaining days of the third Test between India and Australia Test isn't looking conducive for fans hoping for a full match. According to Accuweather.com, Day 2 is expected to see the worst of the rain, with a staggering 100 per cent chance of showers and even a possibility of thunderstorm. Things don't get much better from thereon. The forecast predicts a continued risk of rain throughout the rest of the match, with a 46 per cent chance on Day 3, a 67 per cent chance on Day 4, and a 68 per cent chance on Day 5.
It will be interesting to see how the match pans out as India would look for full match to boost their WTC final chances by breaching the Gabba fort yet again, especially after suffering a crushing 10-wicket defeat in the Adelaide Test.
