Australia vs India live: Stage set for dramatic day five of Gabba Test

I think we’d better start, don’t you?

I can’t see Australia make any other changes to be honest – although Mitch Marsh worries me.

If Cameron Green was fit I don’t think there would be any doubt that he would come in for Marsh given the incumbent’s apparent hesitance to bowl – although he may come good given a fortnight’s rest.

The biggest question mark coming into this Test was actually dangling over Steve Smith – and given that he has seemingly recovered his batting mojo, I think we can safely say things will stay as they are.

If there was one person who I would back to single handedly rescue the day, it is Travis Head.

Probably.

It has to be said, this has been desperately unfortunate – just look at the forecast for the next few days to see what might have been.

That being said, there is no doubt that playing at this time of year is a risk in Brisbane.

But then again, this week has been particularly wet, in a summer that is set to be very, very wet.

The Bureau said the south-east corner of the state is on track for the wettest December since 2010, when 479mm of rain fell in a month.

But that, in itself, raises another question.

Cricket for Climate chief executive Joanne Bowen told me in October that people just aren’t connecting the dots between scenes like this and climate change.

“They’re not making the connection between isolated events or what they’re seeing, whether it’s flooded cricket grounds or, in this country, not being able to train during the day because it’s too hot, they’re not yet connecting the dots between that and climate change,” Bowen said.

Even without that, playing the Ashes Test here next year as a day-night Test is ludicrous, given that even in normal weather patterns, Brisbane storms tend to hit in the afternoon and evening.

It took about 30 minutes for it to arrive, but now there is rain falling in the middle.

I don’t know whether that’s good thing or not seeing as we’re off the field anyway.

But it is definitely raining now.

And there is plenty of activity on the radar.

A moment or so ago we have have the faintest of sprinklings of drizzle.

But half an hour after being ordered off, there has been nothing that has happened on the playing area to warrant this delay.

Entry was only by gold coin donation today – and that’s a relief.

Because delays like this make a mockery of the sport.

 As we watch the faintest of drizzle start to come down over the vacant Gabba, let’s have a look forward to the next five days weather in Brisbane.

If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

So, about 15 minutes after being ordered off the field, there is still no sign of the rain that was promised.

It’s still sunny out there.

The pegs have been added to though, and supplemented by a vehicle at each corner.

So whatever is coming, is meant to be pretty serious.

But it’s still not here.

And the groundstaff have now walked off the field.

And just before the players were ordered off the field, Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja were out there set to take their place in the middle.

So it looked like boring conventionality was set to win the day.

But then I am probably not the right person to ask.

In bright sunshine, the covers are being brought on.

A message has flashed up on the scoreboard saying “severe weather is expected any moment” and people are being warned to seek shelter immediately.

Severe weather is expected any moment. Please seek shelter from exposed areas of the venue and follow the directions of event staff.

There is discussion that there is lightning around as well.

I think the rain delays served to keep the quicks relatively fresh, so their spells were not actually too overly long.

We were told that Mitch Marsh was fit to bowl, but that’s clearly not the case.

As for Travis Head – I just don’t know when he would have been brought on.

I’d say no – the risk of defeat hangs too heavy over the Test – especially if the weather holds.

I wouldn’t hate them going completely off script and opening with Travis Head and Mitch Marsh though – just to go out and sock some dingers.

Tricky Trav is either an amazing nickname or a horrible one.

Let me ruminate on it for a spell.