Incessant rain washes out first day

Persistent rain made sure even the toss didn't take place on the first day of the third Test in Mohali. It began raining around 3am, and continued well into the morning.

When it stopped raining, the ground staff went to work on the covers that had puddles of water. The outfield seemed to have drained well, but the covers needed at least a couple of hours of work. However, the drizzle returned shortly, laying to rest any hopes of play.

If every thing goes right, the toss will now take place on the second morning and play will start half an hour early on each of the remaining days. The forecast for the remaining days is better, although spells of rain are expected on day two.

India, who lead the series 2-0, did not name their XI but Australia confirmed their line-up, with Matthew Wade ruled out due to his ankle injury and Glenn Maxwell made 12th man. That meant Brad Haddin was included for his first Test in more than a year, while Steven Smith was also named for the first time since the 2010-11 Ashes. The decision to rule four players out due to disciplinary issues meant Australia had only 12 men to choose from, and they recalled the offspinner Nathan Lyon to bowl alongside the left-armer Xavier Doherty.