Bengaluru: Heavy rain Tuesday morning has forced the Indian team’s practice session to be washed out on the eve of the opening Test against New Zealand.
The training session, scheduled for 11:15 was cancelled due to continuous heavy rainfall, with no signs of easing. New Zealand’s 1:30 PM session is also likely to be affected by the bad weather.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted heavy rainfall throughout the week, with a 70 to 90 percent chance of rain on Days 1 and 2 of the Test match. Additionally, a yellow alert has been issued for several areas across Karnataka, signalling potential weather disruptions in the match.
Weather disruptions also cut India’s previous home Test in Kanpur against Bangladesh by half, but India still secured a win. New Zealand also faced weather issues on their subcontinent tour, with their non-WTC Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida called off due to bad weather and poor drainage system at the venue.
India are coming into this Test on the back of a 2-0 win against Bangladesh while New Zealand suffered a 2-0 loss in Sri Lanka. The hosts are currently on top of the World Test Championships (WTC) standings while 2021 title-winners New Zealand are in sixth position.