In a disappointing turn of events, the first T20 match between South Africa and India at Kingsmead Stadium was abandoned due to incessant rain, preventing the teams from even getting to the toss. The decision to call off the game came at 1755 local time, as the weather showed no signs of improvement.
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar expressed his frustration with the South Africa Cricket Board, blaming inadequate ground cover for the abandonment. Gavaskar argued that cricket venues worldwide should have complete ground coverage to avoid unnecessary delays after rain showers.
“The entire ground should be covered. If you leave it half-covered, the game can’t start even if the rain stops. If it rains again, the match is called off,” Gavaskar emphasized during a segment on Star Sports.
He pointed out the impact such practices had during the 2019 World Cup, where numerous matches were abandoned due to uncovered grounds, resulting in teams losing valuable points. Gavaskar used the example of Eden Gardens and praised Sourav Ganguly for ensuring the entire field is covered in case of rain, a practice that other cricket boards, according to him, should adopt.
“The initiative was taken by Sourav Ganguly when he was the president of the state cricket board. There were some issues with one of the Test matches because of rain, and Ganguly made sure that mistakes are not repeated in the next game,” Gavaskar explained.
In contrast, Sri Lanka Cricket has been following a similar strategy for years.
The abandoned game was the first of a three-match series, with the second match scheduled in Gqeberha on Tuesday and the third in Johannesburg on Dec. 14. This series is part of South Africa’s hosting of India, including three ODIs and a two-test series. The ODIs are set to be contested from Dec. 17-21, with the first test beginning in Centurion on Dec. 26 and the second in Cape Town from Jan. 3.
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This series marks South Africa’s return to international action since their loss to Australia in the Cricket World Cup semifinal at Kolkata. On the other hand, India comes into the series on the back of a 4-1 victory against Australia in a bilateral T20 series at home after the World Cup, where they were beaten by Australia in the final at Ahmedabad.