We'll have to adjust the commentary rota so he can halt the inevitable England batting collapse later in the match, Jack...

Jack Rule: I swear Geoff Lemon has magical rain powers on TMS today. Every time he comes onto comms it seems to start to rain?

The umpires (wisely) have taken an early tea at the SCG while the ground continues to dry out. The good news is play should start* at 05:00 GMT straight after the break.

*Fingers crossed.

Henry Moeran
BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

It's a frustrating picture here. It has not been a day filled with much cricket - but there is a bit of a suggestion that the worst of the rain might have gone.

The covers are coming off at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Few spots of rain still around but encouraging signs.

An inspection from the umpires looks imminent.

By way of coincidence, I actually sat in a couple of lectures with James Foster, my alma mater at Durham University.

He was actually called up while still an undergraduate to keep in the winter Test tours of India and New Zealand in 2011.

Not a thought for the rest of us to plod the streets in the bitter ice and snow of the North East while he was off playing for England.

Elsewhere in Australia there is more cricket going on later on this morning in the Big Bash and we have live radio commentary of Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes (07:30 GMT) and Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers (10:30).

Plenty of English interest too with George Garton, James Vince, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett and others all involved.

You can follow both those games here...

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special commentator

The rain hasn't been heavy all day. There is still plenty of time left to catch up, it just needs the clouds to lift a bit.

The brollies are still up at the SCG but the bulk of this patch of rain has hopefully passed through so hopefully we'll have some play soon.

The rain is still pitter-pattering on the corrugated green roof of the iconic pavilion at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Always fancied a snoop around the pavilion at the SCG. It is still just about a cricket ground, as opposed to a cricket stadium.

It looks very different than it did way back, though.

AJ: Closest comparison I can think of to Bangladesh's Miracle of Mount Maunganui? Japan knocking over former world champions South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. A genuinely jaw-dropping moment that put Japan on the map as a top-tier rugby nation.

Rain stops playpublished at 04:02 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January 2022

04:02 GMT 5 January 2022

Image source, BBC Weather

Here's the forecast for Sydney. Although, granted, Sydney is a reasonably-sized city so this might not reflect actual conditions at the SCG.

In fact, I have always wondered why we don't have cricket grounds listed as an option for forecasts given fans want an a very accurate picture of the weather. More so than most other sports.

So if the powers-that-be at the MET Office/BBC Weather are reading this...

Yes, the covers are back on again at the SCG. We were expecting a few interruptions to play with the weather today.

The rain at the SCG has started to fizzle into drizzle, and I reckon might soon become mizzle.

By the way, there's been a huge upset in Test cricket on the other side of the Tasman Sea.