Australia heads into day four of the third Test at the Gabba looking at three things – the follow-on, the weather radar, and holding their catches.

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The home side created a golden chance with the very first ball of the day’s play on Tuesday, with captain Pat Cummins bowling a pearler to India opener KL Rahul.

His back-of-a-length delivery found Rahul’s edge, and came to Steve Smith at a perfect height at second slip.

But Smith, who has 188 catches at Test level, shelled the chance in a very rare lapse in the cordon.

“Steve Smith, (that’s) quite unbelievable — he’s a man who just catches everything, and he has put down one of the more regulation slips catches,” said Fox Cricket expert and Australian legend Adam Gilchrist on commentary.

“That’s just very uncharacteristic.”

“Smith just doesn’t drop sodas; I think it came too slowly for him!” former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe added.

MATCH CENTRE: Latest scores, updates from Australia vs India 3rd Test

In a concerning sign however, Josh Hazlewood spent the entire first drinks break in conversation with captain Cummins, vice-captain Steve Smith and the team physio; perhaps indicative of an underlying injury.

“Without any question I think we will be seeing Scott Boland at the MCG,” Vaughan said on commentary

“I’m not too sure he (Hazlewood) will bowl much more, Mitchell Marsh can come on and bowl a few.

“He looks ginger, like he is really struggling. He’s walking back gingerly (and) he is just not right.”

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EARLIER

Rain ruined both the opening and third days of play in Brisbane, but in between drenchings the hosts have gained complete control of the match, leaving India slumped at 4-51 in rely to Australia’s 445.

Cummins has slept on the idea of enforcing the follow-on for just the second time since he took charge of the national side, with the tourists well behind the follow-on mark of 246.

The rain helps the Aussie side in a sense, since the bowling attack is well rested, having sent down just 17 overs.

“We hold a few more cards than they do,” Mitchell Starc said on ABC Grandstand after play on Monday.

“Tomorrow is going to dictate what happens, if we can get the ball in the right areas and take a few early ones. That obviously brings in the extra card of the follow-on.

“The fantastic effort of the batters in the first innings gives us that option as well. When you score 450 and have a team four for 50, you hold all the cards. We’ve certainly got the options there. It’s just going to see how it plays out in that first session (of day four), I’d say.”

Australia has enforced the follow-on just once under Cummins, in the drawn 2022-23 SCG Test against South Africa. That match was heavily impacted by rain, with South Africa only beginning its first innings after lunch on day four.

Either way, the Aussies will have to get their work in Brisbane done quickly. The Bureau of Meteorology estimates a 90% chance of rain on both day four and five.

There is a “very high chance” of showers in the morning and afternoon on Tuesday, and up to 30mm of rain.

“We’ve got six wickets to take first,” Mitch Marsh said on Monday of the follow-on option.

“But we know that we’ve got to take 20 wickets to try and win this Test match, and all the conversations and all the planning will be, ‘How do we do that?’ “So hopefully the weather holds off, and then tomorrow it’s just about coming in, having a crack and see where we get to.

“We’re always asking for the (weather) radar and what’s happening, (and with) two days to go, I think there’s still plenty of time for a result.”

Play resumed at underway at 10:50am AEDT (9:50am local).