Match timings have changed after the opening day of the first Test between India and New Zealand was washed out at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. There was no respite from rain as predicted by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) earlier. Even the toss didn't take place as the rain never relented for a longer period of time.
While all the eyes are on the weather in Garden City on Thursday (October 17), the officials have decided to cover up for the lost time on the first day. On the last four days of the Bengaluru Test, the play will start 15 minutes before the scheduled time and will also end 15 minutes later than the scheduled time with extra 30 minutes allocated to complete the overs.
Accordingly, if the rain relents enough for play to start on time, the toss will take place at 8:45 AM IST and the match will get underway at 9:15 AM. The first two sessions of the day will be extended by 15 minutes each with this change. This way, in four days, a total of two hours of play will be covered to make up for lost time. Play can go on till 5:15 PM, light and weather permitting to finish the 98 overs scheduled on each of the last four days.
Revised Match time from Day 2 of the first Test
Toss - 8:45 AM IST
First session - 9:15 AM to 11:30 AM
Second session - 12:10 PM to 2:25 PM
Third session - 2:45 PM to 4:45 PM
For the unversed, New Zealand haven't won a single Test match in India since 1988 while India boast of a dominant record at home in Tests having not lost a single series since 2012. No wonder, Rohit Sharma and his men are the favourites to win not only this Test but also the series. But for that to happen, rain has to relent over the next four days as India will be keen on going for the result just like they did against Bangladesh in Kanpur earlier this month.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke
