IND vs SL | First T20 abandoned after puddles impact pitch
The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka at the Barsapara Ground in Guwahati has been abandoned without a ball being bowled as the puddles impacted the main pitch. Anil Chaudhari and Nitin Menon inspected the ground on a regular basis but found the ground unsuitable for play.
As all eyes were set on how India would carry on with their new-found strategy of going berserk at the beginning, it came down to noughts as the game has been called off. Assam Cricket Association, which used a helicopter 15 years ago to remove the dry patches from the ground, used an innovative way of using a hairdryer and steam iron rolling over the pitch but that was to no avail.
After regular inspection, the two on-field umpires for the game Anil Chaudhary and Nitin Menon made their way out to inspect puddles. They discussed with reserve umpire Virendra Sharma and head of the grounds committee before having a discussion with Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who had earlier won the toss and decided to field first.
The ground staff did give their all in the process but the puddles have so visible that it came to a point of being tagged as dangerous. Eventually, after having an inspection at 9.30 PM, the umpires decided to call off the game.
The second T20I match of the series will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.