Cricket greats make huge call on Usman Khawaja's Test future amid $1 million Gabba fallout

A couple of cricket greats have backed Usman Khawaja to rediscover his blistering best form after being encouraged by the Aussie opener's batting on a rain-drenched opening day of the third Test against India at the Gabba. Heavy rain in Brisbane washed out the majority of day one, with Australia 0-28 and only 13.2 overs bowled in a development that looks set to cost Cricket Australia (CA) around $1 million.

In between two rain delays in the first session, Khawaja looked solid and he'll resume day two on 19 runs, with opening partner Nathan McSweeney on four. Khawaja came into the Test under a fair bit of pressure, with some calling for him to be replaced at opener after enduring the longest spell in his Test career without a century.

It's been 27 innings since Khawaja last cracked a ton during the 2023 Ashes series and the opener knows he'll need a big score at the Gabba to keep the critics at bay. But among those to back the opener to return to the runs are former Aussie fast bowler Brett Lee and India legend Ravi Shastri, who both saw enough evidence from the 37-year-old on Saturday to suggest he looks back to his best.

Brett Lee tips Usman Khawaja to get a big score

"It's pretty cut throat at the moment, isn't it? We're hearing Usman Khawaja coming towards the end of his career ... that's what they're saying in the press," Lee said on Fox Cricket's coverage. "But I don't really believe it, I don't read into it too much. The signs are good for Usman Khawaja ... (but) he needs the rhythm (on Sunday) to get back into his game and I think if he gets the opportunity, he might get a big one."

Shastri knows plenty about opener the batting for India and admits the retirement of David Warner has presented a massive challenge for Khawaja, with the pair having formed such a formidable partnership and understanding of their roles over such a long period of time. The India great said while Khawaja and Warner's contrasting styles worked well in tandem, McSweeney's more patient approach means his opening partner needs to adjust his role accordingly.

"It does effect you big time, because a lot of the pressure is taken off you as a batsman (when) you can play your own game, leave a lot of balls because David (Warner) would attack at the other end," Shastri said. "There's a player with intent, and the scoreboard will be ticking along."

Shastri believes the lack of form of Australia's top order batters would have been a major reason why India captain Rohit Sharma decided to send the hosts in to bat after winning the toss. Sharma pointed to the green pitch and overcast conditions that should have been favourable to the Indian bowlers but Shastri believes it was also an opportunity to put Australia's struggling top order under the pump.

"When runs are not coming at both ends, that's one of the reasons why India must have opted to field first because they could have sensed an opportunity," he said. "The top order hasn't scored some runs, let's make some early inroads and put pressure on the middle order."

Day one washout set to cost Cricket Australia $1 million

As things transpired though, India's quicks failed to extract much swing and movement off the pitch during the 13.2 overs that were bowled and Australia's batters looked largely untroubled. The washout at a sold-out Gabba on Saturday is also expected to cost CA around $1 million in refunds because a minimum 15 overs were not able to be bowled.

Renowned cricket statistician Ric Finlay explained on social media that if just another 10 balls were bowled on day one then fans would not have been eligible for a refund. “Play called off on Day 1 at the ‘Gabba. We had exactly 60 minutes of play, with 80 balls bowled,” Finlay tweeted. “If another 10 balls had been bowled, the crowd would not have got the refund they are going to get.”

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The hopes of play resuming on Saturday were effectively extinguished after 40mm of rain drenched the ground in just one hour in the middle of the day. With showers persisting during the afternoon in Brisbane, play was eventually called off for the day at 4:15pm local time (5:15pm AEDT).

Sunday is expected to be cloudy with no showers but the rain is predicted to return on each of the remaining three days, making a draw the most likely result. That scenario would mean the Aussies cannot lose another Test if they hope to win the series, with India only needing a draw to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Play will start 30 minutes earlier than normal at 9.50am local time (10.50am AEDT) for the remainder of the Test.