Rain delays start of India-Sri Lanka first Test

Kolkata:  The first day’s proceedings in India-Sri Lanka opening Test was delayed as there was no let up from rain and the conditions remained overcast because of a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal.

The entire Eden Gardens ground remained under thick white tarpaulin cover, while the strip had three layering on it, as it’s been raining since yesterday and there is more forecast of rain for next 24 hours because of the system over west- central Bay.

There was a brief hope in the morning as the drizzle had stopped and the cover on the wicket was removed while the groundsmen were pressed into action with four super soppers to drain the water. It continued for nearly an hour but as the toss time approached, it began to drizzle again and the covers were back on the wicket.

The picture appears grim for the match to start as the Met has forecast “heavy rain at isolated places very likely over Gangetic West Bengal”. The depression over westcentral Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh coast moved north northeastwards and lay centred about 80 km east southeast of Visakhapatnam and 210 km south southwest of Gopalpur at 0530 hours IST today.

The system is very likely to move further north northeastwards off north Andhra Pradesh Odisha coasts during next 24 hours maintaining its intensity,” an IMD bulletin said. The build-up to the India-Australia ODI at the Eden on September 21 had also witnessed rain, but it did not affect the match.

An India-South Africa T20I match in 2015 was abandoned as it rained for 30 minutes before the game was to start. Sri Lanka are to play their maiden Test at the Eden Gardens.