Lagatar24 Desk
Bengaluru: Persistent rain washed out the entire first day of the opening Test between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. With heavy rainfall over the past 48 hours, the toss was delayed, and after a brief attempt to uncover the pitch, play was officially abandoned by 2:30 pm IST without a ball being bowled.
To compensate for the lost overs, match officials announced a revised schedule for Day 2, with an earlier start and extended sessions. Play is expected to begin 15 minutes earlier on Thursday, with 98 overs to be bowled throughout the day. The first and second sessions will each be extended by 15 minutes.
If the weather permits, the toss is set for 8:45 am IST on Thursday, and play will commence at 9:15 am. The morning session will run until 11:30 am, followed by the afternoon session from 12:10 pm to 2:25 pm, and the evening session from 2:45 pm to 4:45 pm.
Despite more rain being forecast for the coming days, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium boasts world-class drainage facilities, and officials are hopeful of getting play underway quickly once conditions improve.
India, currently leading the World Test Championship standings, are targeting a 3-0 series victory against New Zealand to cement their place in the WTC final at Lord’s next June.
For New Zealand, it’s been a frustrating subcontinental tour so far. After the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida was washed out, they suffered a 2-0 series defeat in Sri Lanka.
India vs New Zealand 1st Test Day 2 Timings:
- Toss: 8:45 am IST
- Morning session: 9:15 am – 11:30 am
- Afternoon session: 12:10 pm – 2:25 pm
- Evening session: 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm
