Doing away from the tradition of opening the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar trophy at the Gabba, India started their tour with a commanding victory in Perth before Australia bounced back strongly in Adelaide, but with the series currently locked 1-1 and with a place in the ICC World Test Championship final at stake, more critically for the tourists, a stiffer challenge awaits the Indians in Brisbane, where the pitch is expected to have more life and bounce during the pre-Christmas window.

Over the past couple of years, the Gabba, once the fortress of the Australians, hasn’t yielded the desired outcome for the home side, especially when India broke the 32-year hegemony with a series-defining victory in 2021. The hosts had been undefeated at the Gabba since 1988 prior to that match, and have also since been shocked by West Indies at the ground last summer.

However, on both occasions, the matches were played in the second half of January, as opposed to the upcoming third Test at the start of the Australian summer. Players have often pushed for the Gabba to remain as the series opening venue as the bounce often exposes fragilities of touring sides still adjusting to Australian wickets.

In 2021, former Aussie skipper Tim Paine had quipped at one stage he would have to ask then skipper Virat Kohli for permission to play the opening Test in Brisbane. Even in the lead-up to the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Mitchell Starc had noted that the January timing of the 2021 Test against India was a factor for their 1-2 loss.

Statistically, Australia have lost three of the five Tests played at the Gabba in the post-Christmas window, as opposed to only seven of 61 earlier in the summer.

Three days prior to the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Gabba curator David Sandurski admitted that the timing effectively impacts the nature of the wicket but asserted that the focus always remains on preparing a traditional Gabba pitch irrespective of the window.

“Different times of year definitely makes it different, it can be a slightly different pitch,” Sandurski said ahead of Saturday’s third Test start.

“Pitches later in the season might have a bit more wear and tear while ones early in the season usually are a bit fresher and might have a bit more in them. Generally speaking, we still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for.

“We are just trying to make a traditional Gabba wicket like we do each year,” Sandurski added.

Rain prediction during the Test

Things could even get spicier for both sides as weather forecasts suggest there are chances of rain across all five days of the Test. On Wednesday, the home side was forced to train elsewhere due to poor weather conditions in Brisbane, with a further chance of rain and storms late on Friday.

With the top order of both sides crumbling at different stages in the first two Tests in Perth and Adelaide, Sandurski insisted that the Gabba wicket would provide the right balance between the bat and ball.

During a recent Sheffield Shield played on the ground last month, 15 wickets fell on the opening day of the pink-ball game between Victoria and Queensland before the batters came back strongly after the wicket eased out.

“The aim is to be similar to that wicket where there was a good balance between bat and ball. Hopefully there is a bit in it for everyone,” Sandurski asserted.

The third Test begins Saturday at the Gabba, and it will be followed by the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne from December 26-30, before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy culminates with the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3-7, 2025.