WI vs IND | First ODI abandoned mid-way due to constant bouts of rain and wet outfield
BCCI
The first ODI between India and West Indies has been abandoned due to unrelenting rain and wet outfield at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. While the rain stopped, giving hope of a 20-over game, the wet outfield didn’t help the cause as the umpires eventually called it off at 3.10PM local time.
After a boring three-game T20 affair between India and Windies, all eyes were on the ODI series, and two teams would approach the 50-over format after contrasting fortunes in the World Cup. However, only 13 overs of play was possible on a damp day as Gayle, who was playing in his 299th ODI, managed just 4 off 31 - his slowest innings of 25 balls or more.Â
There were several attempts made by the ground staff to make the ground match ready after rain subsidised a bit but a particular wet patch on the field needed special attention and while dealing with that, umpires asked for the overs to be reduced. After the game was first reduced to a 43-over affair, there was a glimmer of hope but the overs were kept on reducing - first to 40-overs and then to 34 before it was eventually deciding to call it off.
While Kuldeep remained the only successful bowler on the day, Gayle’s innings was weird on its own way. Even though it is an established fact that Gayle takes time to get going, he couldn’t break free from the full-length shackle created by Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar. Evin Lewis remained unbeaten on 40 off 36 balls.
