Travis Head snared a troublesome wicket, then gave Australia an injury scare on a final day that featured a monumental batting collapse.

• As it happened: Rain results in damp-squib draw

Here are the quick hits from the fifth and final rainy day at the Gabba.

1. That’s using your Head

After Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc bowled themselves into the ground on day four, it was an unlikely source that finally ended India’s resistance on the fifth morning.

With the second new ball looming, part-time off-spinner Travis Head was given the ball for the fourth full over of the day and took just five balls to finally bring Akash Deep unstuck.

Akash propped forward to defend, overbalancing just enough to drag his back foot to the wrong side of the crease, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey pulled off a rapid stumping to end India’s innings on 260.

Akash and Jasprit Bumrah had done what they needed to — preventing Australia from being allowed to enforce the follow-on — with their 47-run stand for the last wicket, making a push for victory a more difficult and risky prospect for Australia.

2. A (potential) rain delay

Just as Australia openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney convened alongside India on the boundary for the third innings of the match, ground staff ran the pitch covers out.

It felt like a precautionary measure with play surely set to resume soon, but then a warning flashed on the Gabba’s big screen.

“Severe weather is expected any moment. Please seek shelter from exposed areas of the venue and follow the directions of event staff.”

It seemed very dramatic and imminent, but half an hour after India’s innings ended, the worst weather at the ground amounted to a sprinkle of rain that likely wouldn’t have forced the teams off if they had been out there.

It was an unfortunate delay on a day where every possible second of cricket was required to force a result and some entertainment for the handful of fans at the ground.

Regardless, the wicket block remained covered, with three buggies and an excavator pinning down the corners of the big white tarp, waiting to be strained by a forecast furious storm that ultimately manifested as a decent downpour with a few distant thunder claps.

3. Reshuffled order blown away

Once the rain blew over and Australia’s openers finally got out in the middle after lunch, the only hope for victory was to quickly pile onto the 185-run lead, declare and send India in to bat again in the hopes of bowling them out cheaply after tea.

Usman Khawaja showed the way with two delightful boundaries off his first four balls, but the first time he faced the might of Jasprit Bumrah, his castled was demolished.

Marnus Labuschagne followed soon after, with the suddenly rejuvenated Indian fans booing as the Australian batter striding from the sheds was not Steve Smith, but the aggressive Mitch Marsh.

When Nathan McSweeney nicked off to Akash Deep, still Smith was held back in favour of in-form ball-striker Travis Head, and only when Marsh followed suit for 2 off 13 did Smith emerge.

But, coming off his drought-breaking century in the first dig, he lasted just five balls before being strangled down the leg side.

Suddenly, in the space of just 66 balls, Australia’s best-laid plans had become much more complicated, with the impending storm feeling more like a saviour than the impediment to victory it was at the start of the day.

Travis Head, Alex Carey and Pat Cummins righted the ship somewhat with cleaner hitting to prevent a complete disaster.

4. Declaration of intent

As wickets tumbled, blades flashed and the Kookaburra was sent to all corners of the Gabba, there was one thing on Australia’s mind.

The declaration, when it came, was the third lowest declared score in Australian Test history.

Interestingly, both the others came in Brisbane — 7-32 against England in 1950, which Australia won, and 2-84 against New Zealand in 2001, which ended in a draw.

5. Head noise

Travis Head has been in sparkling form in this Test series.

After scoring just 11 in the first innings in Perth, the South Australian has backed up with scores of 89, 140 and 152 before his quick-fire 17 in the final innings in Brisbane.

He averages 81.80 in his five innings, having scored 409 runs, some 174 runs more than the next highest run scorer in the series.

So when he didn’t come out to field in the brief fourth innings of the match, it was a notable absence.

A groin injury was the diagnosis from Cricket Australia, but Head assured it was just a little discomfort and he would be OK going forward.

The biggest Australia-India moments

Throughout the summer, we’ll look back at some of the best stories and share our own favourite moments from Australia and India’s cricket history.

Join us to continue the conversation on our live blogs and on the radio over the summer before the readers’ top 10 is revealed ahead of the fifth Test at the SCG from January 3.

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