Rain delays opening of India-Australia cricket series

KOCHI - The first match of the one-day cricket series between India and Australia to be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium here will have a delayed start following a downpour in the wee hours of Sunday.

While the ground is still covered with a blue sheet, the stadium galleries are overflowing with spectators.

“We are from Kottayam and we reached here around 4 a.m. and soon we were given entry to the stadium. We are lucky that we got a good place to watch the action. Now with the ground still under cover it is certain that we won’t get the full 100 overs. This is sad,” a spectator Ashok Kumar said.

The pitch was well-prepared for the match but the rain has dampened the the ground as well as the spirit of the spectators.

According to a Kerala Cricket Association official, the match could be delayed for about two hours provided there was no rain again.

However, almost every inch of the space at the stadium has been packed.

This is the only cricket stadium in the state to host international matches and Sunday’s match is the seventh in the last 12 years.