Jim Maxwell
BBC Test Match Special

English umpires wouldn't leave the middle. They need the groundstaff they have at Galle where you have about a thousand people, some tarpaulin and some old tyres and the whole thing is on and off in no time.

Ouch! James Anderson slips in his follow through and ends up flat on his back. It looks like the strapping he has on his ankle came loose as he bowled.

To be fair, those races have been more competitive than much of this series.

SotonUni: Why am I more invested in the racing groundsmen rather than one of the most prestigious series in sport?

Jack Leach's over is done.

Jim Maxwell
BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

You get a sense watching this that the batsmen are waiting for the next rainfall. It's one of those days with little drops here and there.

The cover was on for approximately half a second before it stopped raining.

Smith and Khawaja are on their way back to the middle.

Jim Maxwell
BBC Test Match Special

You can bet by the time they get out there, put everything out, it will have stopped. I think the umpires are being too precious. These squalls are around for a minute and they are gone.

Steve Smith has made it up to the dressing room, Usman Khawaja is sat on the boundary edge with the sub fielders, and England are still on the field.

Rain stops playpublished at 00:33 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2022

00:33 GMT 6 January 2022

And now we're going off for rain again.

Four!

Khawaja decides to completely ignore the rain and flays away a lovely cut shot to the boundary.

I think it is raining...

No, but what do you really think, Chappelli?

(This field is silly, though. Four men on the boundary for Steve Smith!)

Ian Chappell
Former Australia captain on Test Match Special

Jack Leach has a big say in his field placings. They are ridiculous fields, but he is the one moving the players. You can tell he's very much down on confidence, but I don't think he's a very good bowler.

And it's defended with ease by Usman Khawaja.

Sunshine!

James Anderson has got one ball left to bowl to Usman Khawaja.

The players are all out there but the groundstaff are still packing away the giant cover.

Gill Russell: It's the raindance hokey-cokey - you send the umpires in, the umpires out, in, out, in, out, make the crowd all shout, you get the players inside then you turn around, that's what it's all about, hey!

Tell you what, the SCG groundstaff have brilliant oufits.

Image source, Getty Images

We have players!