🏏India vs New Zealand, 1st Test: Bengalore,16 Oct- 20th Oct Day 4🏏 - Page 4

1.10pm How ya doin'?

Ashish is not very happy. His latest from Chinnaswamy: "A very very light drizzle has returned at Chinnaswamy and that means no ground staff activity has started as yet. It's that very irritating mizzle which won't bother anyone if play was on. But then again, enough to not have any mop up activities start. There is also a thick band of cloud overhead."

1.50pm More cheer at the ground.

"Ground staff making their way out to the middle which brings about a lot of enthusiasm from the crowd," Ashish says. "They've started removing the two covers around the long-off, long-on region. Lots of water underneath as expected, but that's where the sub-air system will do its magic."

"Aaaaand the mizzle is back. Covers being put back in their place. There is a thick band of cloud right over head at Chinnaswamy, which is causing the major issue. Ground staff going back. So much for the enthusiasm.

The rain relents again. And out come the ground staff. They are working on the main cover. Yep, off come the big main cover. They are basically letting all the water collected on the cover back onto the outfield to let the subair system do its thing. The two umpires are also out in the middle. This is the most activity that has happened on the ground since morning."

They are at tea without a ball being bowled. I have no hope of play today.

Cheers..

The rain has stopped even as clock has ticked to tea time. Two sessions fully washed out, as a result.

And that is that for today. The opening day of the India-New Zealand Test series has been called off

And that is that for today. The opening day of the India-New Zealand Test series has been called off. The persistent drizzle, with its stop-start nature, has meant that there is just not enough time for the ground to be ready today. Plus it has started raining properly now,

The drainage system would have enabled play to start after about an hour once the rain stops. But the Hawk-Eye installation for the DRS would also need about 90 minutes. So the call was taken to call off the day. The downpour only justifying the call.

A 15-minute early start tomorrow, 15 minutes being added to each of the first and the second sessions, 98 overs to bowled. But the forecast for Thursday is not all too promising for now. Hopefully that changes overnight. Who knows. But do join us nice and early for all the updates

Revised Session Timings, Day 2

Morning session: 9:15 -11:30

Afternoon session: 12:10 - 14:25

Evening session: 14:45 - 16:45

Meanwhile, here's an interesting update from Ganesh who says "after stumps, they actually had time to remove the pitch covers for the first time in the day. Some of the technical work that could have taken time for start tomorrow was being done. And some grass sprinkled on the damp patches on the square. All after stumps was called and it stopped raining for a while." Credit to the groundstaff for trying to save some crucial time, they've been working hard all day and this is a heads-up move. Ganesh also adds that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma came out and had a look at the surface.