On Wednesday, heavy rainfall at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has postponed the highly anticipated first Test match between India and New Zealand, disrupting the start and delaying the toss and opening play.
The Blackcaps took to social media to announce the wet conditions, stating, “A wet start to Day 1 in Bengaluru. Heavy rain around M Chinnaswamy Stadium means the toss will be delayed until further notice.”
A wet start to Day 1 in Bengaluru. Heavy rain around M Chinnaswamy Stadium means the toss will be delayed until further notice 🏏 #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/eowepdeila
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 16, 2024
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also confirmed the delay, which follows earlier disruptions to the teams’ preparations due to the weather.
In anticipation of the downpour, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an ‘orange alert’ for rain in the region.
In response, the Karnataka government declared a holiday for schools, while many tech companies encouraged employees to work from home to avoid travel disruptions.
India is looking to capitalize on this Test series to strengthen its chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final set for next year at Lord’s.
However, uncertainty surrounds Shubman Gill’s fitness, as captain Rohit Sharma reported that Gill is dealing with a neck spasm.
New Zealand, the 2021 WTC champions, have struggled recently, suffering a 2-0 defeat against Sri Lanka.
Under new captain Tom Latham, the team will be without star player Kane Williamson, who is recovering from a groin injury.
Notably, the Blackcaps haven’t won a Test match in India since 1988 at Wankhede Stadium.
The squads for both teams are:
India Squad:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Jasprit Bumrah (vc)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Dhruv Jurel (wk)
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohd Siraj
- Akash Deep
New Zealand Squad:
- Tom Latham (c)
- Tom Blundell (wk)
- Michael Bracewell (1st Test only)
- Mark Chapman
- Devon Conway
- Jacob Duffy
- Matt Henry
- Daryl Mitchell
- Will O’Rourke
- Ajaz Patel
- Glenn Phillips
- Rachin Ravindra
- Mitchell Santner
- Ish Sodhi (2nd & 3rd Test only)
- Tim Southee
- Kane Williamson
- Will Young
With the weather remaining a critical factor, fans are hopeful for clearer skies and a prompt start to what promises to be an exciting series.
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