Impact of Bengaluru rain on Rohit and Kohli's practice; inclement weather poses threat to India vs New Zealand 1st Test

Unfortunately for Indian cricket fans, there may be some disappointing news as the men’s team gears up for the first match of their three-match Test series against New Zealand in Bengaluru on October 16. The Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) has forecasted heavy rainfall in Bengaluru in the coming days, adding to the already wet October weather in the city.

Heavy rain on Tuesday morning washed out the Indian team’s practice on the eve of the match. The training session, slated for 11:15 AM, had to be cancelled following heavy rainfall since morning.

“Team India's training session is cancelled due to rain,” read an official update from the BCCI.

Despite a rain-free September, the spell between October 14 and October 17 is expected to see plenty of precipitation. There is a 70-90% chance of rain on Day 1 and Day 2 of the Test match. Indian fans will be hoping this won’t cause a wash-out similar to the first part of the Test match in Kanpur against Bangladesh.

The IMD’s Bangalore observatory has already noted 72mm of rain in the first two weeks of the month, triple the amount experienced in September this year. Moreover, thunderstorm warnings and yellow alerts have been issued in parts of Karnataka, although that is largely in coastal regions.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore is renowned for its world-class drainage facilities, which holds it in good stead compared to the debacle of Kanpur losing an entire day of cricket despite no rain on day 3 of that match. Nevertheless, heavy rain is expected to persist on the opening two days of the Bangalore Test.

Fans will be desperately hoping that enough cricket can be played in Bangalore in the coming days, both for the sake of watching cricket and for the team to collect much-needed World Test Championship points. However, gloomy conditions in the city mean that the match will likely be interrupted and subject to conditions throughout.

New Zealand will enter this series after a chastening pair of losses to Sri Lanka in their series on the island, and will be looking to bounce back despite historical difficulty in producing results in the subcontinent. Tom Latham will be stepping in as permanent Test captain following Tim Southee’s withdrawal from the position, with the Black Caps always an uncomfortable opponent.

India enter on good form after beating Bangladesh 2-0, and could seal a spot in a third consecutive WTC final with a whitewash over the Kiwis in this series, taking the pressure off the Border-Gavaskar Series in Australia from a WTC standpoint. However, a rain-affected match in Bangalore could throw a spanner in the works.