Rain plays spoilsport
Opening day’s play of the Lord’s Test is a wash out
Frustrating the two teams, incessant rain washed out the entire day one of the second cricket Test between India and England at Lord’s, here on Thursday. The play was called off at 4.50 pm local time without a single ball being bowled.
The match officials decided to take an early lunch, moving the scheduled break ahead by 30 minutes. Even after lunch, there was no respite from the rain and it went on throughout the afternoon. Finally, 45 minutes after the ‘tea break’, the umpires inspected conditions twice before declaring no play was possible on Day 1.
The remaining four days will see 96 overs each to make up for the lost time. However, there is more rain forecast for this weekend and as such this match could see routine rain breaks. A few players, including Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings, did make their way to the indoor nets to pass time.
As the scheduled tea break came over, there was some weather clearance in the distance and the rain did slow down. The umpires came out and had a chat with the ground staff as well, who were regularly cleaning off water from the covers.
England are leading the five-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Birmingham by 31 runs. England did name a first 12 on Wednesday, with 20-yearold Olliver Pope waiting to make his Test debut. India have not announced their playing XI but skipper Virat Kohli had said that he was tempted to play a second spinner.
That thought might well have changed now, given the weather conditions and forecast ahead.
Stokes send wishes
Absent all-rounder Ben Stokes sent best wishes to his England team-mates, in particular debutant batsman Pope, ahead of the second Test at Lord’s on Thursday.
Stokes was left out of England’s squad’s for the second Test because of his ongoing trial on a charge of affray in Bristol, having taken three wickets as the hosts completed a 31-run win at Edgbaston on Sunday to go 1-0 up in a five-match series.
The 27-year-old Stokes has denied the charge against him. England captain Joe Root confirmed on Wednesday that 20-year-old Surrey batsman Pope would make his debut at Lord’s in place of the dropped Dawid Malan.
Stokes wished his colleagues well in a Twitter message accompanied by an Instagram photograph of allrounder Sam Curran, like Pope a 20-year-old Surrey star, celebrating a wicket. “Good luck to all the englandcricket lads today and for the rest of the week, always exciting seeing guys get there first opportunity, hope it goes for you well for you @opope32 #loveengland” wrote Stokes.