Canberra: Rain has led to the cancellation of the first day of India’s tour match against the Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Saturday. As a result, the match will now be played as a 50-over per side contest on Sunday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on their official ‘X’ account that Day 1 was abandoned and play will resume at 9:10 am IST on Sunday, with the coin toss scheduled for 8:40 am IST.
Persistent rain from 10 am to 5:30 pm local time made it impossible to play, with the pitch covers remaining in place. The Indian team briefly visited the ground but left due to the unfavorable conditions. Although there was a brief pause in the rain later in the day, allowing for some activity, the covers were ultimately put back on, and heavy rain resumed at 7 pm, confirming that no play would take place.
This match serves as the Indian team’s final opportunity to prepare for the upcoming day-night Test against Australia, which begins on December 6 in Adelaide. India has received a boost with Rohit Sharma available for the second Test, while Australia will be missing pacer Josh Hazlewood, who played a key role in India’s infamous 36 all-out in 2020 in Adelaide.