IND vs SL | BCCI awaits chief curator's report after after leaking covers ensures Guwahati call-off

The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka at the Barsapara Ground in Guwahati was abandoned without a ball being bowled as puddles impacted the main pitch. Anil Chaudhari and Nitin Menon inspected the ground on a regular basis but found the ground unsuitable for play. Assam Cricket Association, which used a helicopter 15 years ago to remove the dry patches from the ground, used innovative ways - using a hairdryer and steam iron rolling over the pitch - to dry the pitch, that was to no avail. It put the BCCI on a bad light and the officials are now waiting for chief curator Ashish Bhowmick's report before taking the action.

"These things will happen as there is a learning curve that officials of all associations are faced with after the implementation of the Lodha report. No association had the opportunity to plan for succession and continuity. In this day and age continuity strategies remain one of the biggest concerns for stakeholders across the globe. The associations were never given the opportunity to address this concern. I think a lot of blame lies with the BCCI's curator and ultimately with the CEO who should at least have had the foresight to ensure that the basics were in place," a BCCI official said, reported Times of India.

There was a huge gathering at the venue on Sunday with no one leaving the venue until it was officially announced that the game had been called off. It was particularly sad that a small city like Guhawati doesn't get a lot of international games, with the official pointing out that the fans must have felt hard considering that the rest of the ground was completely dry. 

"Due to the Supreme Court order, we are afraid to seek advice from the former office-bearers even though the court allows us to have them in advisory capacities in one order as we don't want to take a risk. We, however, feel sad for the fans, some of whom had gone to Guwahati from far away places for nothing. We have the utmost confidence in the Sourav Ganguly-led team of office bearers and are confident that they will take quick steps to ensure a smooth process for all associations so that the fans aren't inconvenienced at any other venue," he said.