India vs New Zealand Day 1: Drizzles dampen series-opener in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: A month ago, when New Zealand came to India to play a Test match against Afghanistan at the Greater Noida Sports Complex, the match was abandoned without a single ball being bowled. Unfortunately, that streak of bad luck seems to have continued, as the Kiwis are back in town and rain is once again having its say.

If you are a Kiwi, the prospect of coming to India for a Test match might not be appealing, given the team's poor record in the subcontinent. To add to its misery, rain is making their situation even more difficult, as New Zealand needs to win all its remaining Tests to even think of a shot at the World Test Championship final next year.

The unrelenting rains in Bengaluru have put even the best-in-class drainage facilities to shame, resulting in the first day's play of the three-match Test series being called off. The forecast for Thursday is not particularly promising, as more rain is predicted at least until the afternoon.

In general, everyone expected a rather cloudy forecast with constant drizzles, which would lead to play being stopped and resumed. However, that was not the case, and the entire day being called off left everyone feeling numb. The pitch had been covered for two days, and intermittent rains made it difficult for the ground staff to prepare the field for play.

At about 1:30 PM, match officials came to inspect the pitch as the rain subsided a bit. The ground staff removed the first layer of covers, giving the initial glimpse of the pitch, but the damage was already done. The persistent rain had taken its toll on the outfield, and at around 2:30 PM, play was officially called off.

Despite the overcast conditions, fans braved the weather and came out in good numbers. They cheered loudly when they spotted Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal making their way to the other side of the ground for an indoor nets session. India’s training session on Tuesday was cancelled, so if play were to resume on Thursday, these small net sessions would certainly help maintain match fitness. Especially for Virat, who hasn’t fired up in the long format for sometime.

Wednesday would also have provided some time for recovery for Shubman Gill, who was reportedly suffering from neck stiffness. By the looks of it, this will be a Test of four days, maybe even less, looking at the conditions.

Reports indicate that play will start fifteen minutes earlier than usual, with the toss scheduled for 8.45 AM on Thursday, provided the rain stays away.