The Indian team's aspirations of reaching the World Test Championship final, following their defeat in Adelaide during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, may face challenges due to "unusual" weather conditions in Brisbane. The historic Gabba is set to host the third Test match of the series, commencing on Saturday, with Australia and India currently tied at 1-1.

After an additional day in Adelaide post their 10-wicket defeat, which the team utilized for practice at the Oval, the Rohit Sharma-led squad arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday. Unfortunately, they were met with overcast and rainy weather. The city experienced its second-highest rainfall day of 2024 within the last 24 hours, raising concerns about the potential impact of rain on the upcoming third Test.

Weatherzone has reported that the rainfall is considered ‘unusual’ for December, making Brisbane the wettest location in the state.

Will rain affect 3rd Test between India and Australia?

Despite a notable decrease in the likelihood of precipitation compared to Wednesday, Brisbane is anticipated to experience rain throughout the entirety of the Test match at the Gabba, commencing on Saturday. According to Weatherzone, there is a 50 per cent probability of rain, accompanied by a "possible thunderstorm," on the match's opening day, December 14. Although this probability is expected to decrease to 40 per cent in the following days, with forecasts indicating "clearing showers," it will rise again to 60 per cent on the concluding day, December 18.

The potential for rain will also influence the pitch conditions in Brisbane, which is projected to favour seam bowlers. It is worth noting that India emerged victorious during their last encounter at the Gabba in the 2020/21 series, bolstered by a remarkable performance from Rishabh Pant, while Australia faced a narrow defeat at this venue earlier this year against the West Indies by a mere eight runs.

What happens to India's WTC final chances case of a washout?

Should the match in Brisbane be cancelled due to rain, both India and Australia will receive six points each for the drawn Test. This outcome would further complicate India's prospects of qualifying for the WTC final for the third consecutive time. In the event of a washout, India would find itself in a critical position for the remaining two matches in the series, as a loss or a draw in either of those Tests could result in India's elimination from contention.

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