Rain washes out opening session on Day 5 after India fold for 260

The opening session on Day 5 of the Brisbane Test saw only fours of play. Australia managed to separate India's last-wicket pair of Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah but couldn't get any time to add to their 185-run first-innings lead with lightning followed by heavy rains forced the players off the field for the remainder of the extended session.

India's last-wicket pair, which had helped the visitors avoid the follow-on late on Day 4, added only eight more runs to the team's overnight total of 252/9. It was Travis Head, asked to bowl with the second new ball around the corner, who eventually ended the 47-run partnership by having Akash Deep stumped for 31. India's No.11 was their third-highest contributor in the innings, after the half-centuries from KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja.

Australia still retain an outside possibility of forcing a win but will need the elements to favour them over the final two sessions of this Test in their quest. They are also a bowler short after Josh Hazlewood limped off with a calf strain on the fourth day.

Brief scores:
Australia 445 (Travis Head 152, Steve Smith 101; Jasprit Bumrah 6-76) lead India 260 (KL Rahul 84, Ravindra Jadeja 77; Pat Cummins 4-81) by 185 runs.