Covers placed on the ground following rains, during the second day of the 2nd Test cricket match between India and Bangladesh, at the Green Park Stadium, Kanpur
| Photo Credit: PTI
Inclement weather played spoilsport once again as day two of the second Test between India and Bangladesh was called off without a ball being bowled at the Green Park Stadium on Saturday (September 28, 2024).
It has been raining on and off in the city over the last two days. Only 35 overs were possible on the first day after bad light, and showers brought an early end to proceedings on Friday.
On Saturday, it was raining steadily in the morning when both sides came to the ground as scheduled. However, it is understood the teams were told that it would take a significant amount of time for the ground staff to prepare the venue after the rain eased, following which players left the ground.
The rain finally stopped around 10 a.m., but the covers on the ground did not come off. At around 11.15 a.m., three Super Sopper machines were employed to remove the water on the covers for about an hour.
For the next few hours, there was hardly any rain — barring one or two spells of intermittent drizzles, which wasn’t heavy enough to stop a game had it been underway — but the covers couldn’t be taken off. Eventually, at 2 p.m., the play was called off.
The fans who turned out in large numbers and enthusiastically waited for the day’s play to start had to settle for the sight of bright blue covers covering the whole turf.
They blared the horns, beat drums, and even cheered enthusiastically whenever the camerapersons came near the galleries to capture the crowd, only to return without seeing a single ball of action.
The episode once again raised questions about the merits of the rotation system for allotting Tests despite certain venues lacking the necessary modern infrastructure.
The Green Park stadium, built in 1945, doesn’t possess the latest drainage system that some of the other venues in the country have. While it is difficult to fight against the vagaries of nature, if the facility had the infrastructure that is available in Bengaluru, Chennai, or Mumbai, there could have been a possibility of a few hours of action at least.
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has a state-of-the-art SubAir system, which ensures puddles don’t form and drains standing water within 20 minutes. Once the rain eases, the game can commence in 40 minutes.
Similarly, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the TNCA decided to re-lay the outfield with soft drainage, utilising a multi-layer of soil and perforated PVC pipes to drain excess water. A similar system is also in use at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Last month, the TNPL final at Chepauk was delayed due to rain, but the match started 40 minutes after the rain stopped, and a full T20 encounter took place.
Meanwhile, having invited Bangladesh to bat first, India will want to return to the field as soon as possible. The home team will need to bundle out the visitor — which is on 107 for three — as quickly as possible and bat only once in this match before trying to press for victory in the third innings.
For now, Sunday’s forecast looks slightly better, even if there is a possibility of one or two spells of rain. Rohit Sharma’s men would desperately be hoping for some bright sunshine as they seek a 2-0 series triumph, which will increase their lead in the World Test Championship points table.
Published – September 28, 2024 10:23 am IST
