New Delhi: The start of the first Test between India and New Zealand has been delayed due to heavy downpour at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
The day 1 play was called off at 2.34 PM as heavy rain lashed stadium after relenting for about half an hour earlier. The match officials came out to inspect the pitch around 2 PM after outfield and first layer of covers were removed around 1.50 PM.
But there were large damp areas on either side of the pitch as hessians were brought out in a last-ditch attempt to get some game time. However, it was a futile effort as extensive damage was already done by rains of varying intensity from early morning.
Earlier, even the toss, which was scheduled at 9 AM, could not take place as rain came down relentlessly over the city from morning. There was a smattering of spectators at the stadium despite the inclement weather. But the only moment of excitement for them was the sighting of star batter Virat Kohli and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who went for an indoor net session along with assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.