Australia had slumped to 38 for three against England when rain stopped play on the first morning of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
Chris Rogers was 14 not out and Adam Voges unbeaten on nought when a heavy shower saw the umpires take the players off the field at 12:04pm local time (1104 GMT) after 12.2 overs.
Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn, recalled for his first Test since 2013 after Durham quick Mark Wood was ruled out, had taken a dramatic two wickets for six runs in three overs at the time of the stoppage.
Finn struck with just his sixth ball when he had Steven Smith, the world's number one ranked Test batsman following his 215 in Australia's crushing 405-run win at Lord's, well caught low down at first slip by England captain Alastair Cook for seven.
Finn then made it two wickets for two runs in nine balls when bowling Australia captain Michael Clarke, who had opted to bat first after winning the toss despite the overcast conditions, for 10 to leave the tourists 34 for three.
Earlier, James Anderson, England's most successful Test bowler, needed a mere eight balls to take his 407th Test wicket when he had David Warner lbw for two.
The five-match series is level at 1-1 after England won the first Test in Cardiff by 169 runs and Australia levelled with a crushing 405-run victory at Lord's. – AFP