BRISBANE: It's muggy and overcast here, and there's some chance of showers over the weekend. Luckily, the persistent heavy rain which affected Australia's training plans this week is expected to abate, and Pat Cummins' men will be happy they've got a pre-Christmas game at the Gabba this time around.
The fresh, early season pitch promises more life and bounce, and though Australia themselves won't be immune to batting collapses if Jasprit Bumrah gets going, the team has a far better record in Tests played in mid-Dec here. Australia have lost the last two Tests at this venue, both of which were played in Jan - to West India in 2023 and India in 2021.
