A brief break in the deluge early in the afternoon provided hope that a coin toss and start would be possible, but five minutes before that scheduled toss, the heavens opened again.
The clouds had parted long enough, however, for Jofra Archer to be handed his Test cap by mentor and fellow Barbados-born England quick Chris Jordan.
Archer had asked England captain Joe Root for Jordan to present his cap. He is set to come in for James Anderson as one of two changes, with Jack Leach replacing Moeen Ali.
In his end of day press conference, Australia coach Justin Langer revealed that Josh Hazlewood, not Mitchell Starc, would replace James Pattinson in their only change.
