Only rain had a say on the first day of the Mohali Test match between India and Australia on Thursday, so much so that the teams couldn’t even toss the coin, effectively making this a four-day match.
We’ll have live scores and commentary from 2.30pm AEDT.
So much so that even the toss wasn’t possible, effectively making this a four-day encounter.
What this definitely does is to allow an extra day of rest for Matthew Wade, who was effectively ruled out of the contest if the game had started today.
But with the match now beginning on Friday – subject to better weather – the Australian management may be tempted to bring in the keeper.
It all depends on whether they have already announced the line-up within the team and if they want to make any last-minute changes to it.
If Wade continues to remain unfit, online reports had suggested that Glenn Maxwell was the player expected to miss out with Australia deciding to go in with Nathan Lyon yet again – despite the coach Mickey Arthur’s assertions about Lyon’s loss of confidence.
India were so confident of the rains abandoning the first day’s play that they did not even venture outside their hotel rooms.
Having won three matches in a Test series only three times before this, India will hope for the game to start tomorrow given the kind of confidence they will have going into this encounter.
The pitch was expected to play not too differently from the first couple of Tests but it will be interesting to see what effect the rain has had on the surface.
Sometimes the extra moisture helps the spin bowlers in the first session of play and that will be something that the likes of Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will hope for if India bowls first again.
The good news for all fans is that 60 out of the 90 overs of lost play can be made up by bowling an extra over on each of the following four days.
Again, that will be subject to how the weather holds up at Mohali. Play will begin half hour early for the remaining four days in an attempt to compensate for the lost time for day one.
Live coverage of the game begins from 2.30pm AEDT on Thursday and you can add your opinion in the comments section below.
Paris
Guest
How can I listen to the coverage from here?
Red Kev
Guest
And I still wouldn't have picked Smith in the side, I just said "Smith's game will suit playing against India" and you howled the comment down - so suck it :P
Red Kev
Guest
Actually AB batted everywhere 36 times at no.3 88 times at no.4 70 times at no.5 63 times at no.6 It is not a case of being comfortable, it is about improving the team, Clarke needs to move up for the team to improve.
Amith
Guest
UTK should have played, he has to play in Dehli in the 4th test
Amith
Guest
Khawaja must come in for the 4th test, he deserves his opportunity
Scuba
Guest
Mate, when a bloke has a brain snap like Clarke it matters not where they are in the order.
Scuba
Guest
A guy who makes next to nothing at 3 - Phil Hughes?
pope paul v11
Guest
Moises will probably take 6 for but this allrounder business is going nowhere in England. The old selectors need to plan for the future but there seems little chance of that.
Lancey5times
Guest
I'll bet Khawaja's baggy green on that RK. He won't need it anymore unfortunately
cuzza
Guest
not your theory, confirmed by Invererity. I think it Invererity has made three very big mistakes, hiding Hughes, rotating (?) Siddle in Perth for what was basically a Grand Final and dropping Lyon in the last test. Lyon is our best spinner so unless you drop him for a quick no use replacing him with someone of lesser ability. Having said that about Invererity, he has selected Smith, Maxwell and Khawaja for this tour so maybe he has made more than 3 mistakes.
cuzza
Guest
Sorry Red Kev, feel asleep watching Cowan, just remember, one innings does not make a summer. By the way, my thinking id if Smith has made this many then we are a long way below par score.
cuzza
Guest
what credit does Henriques have? one test when we were thrashed. needs to go back to park cricket, cant understand how he was picked in the first place, for NSW.
Red Kev
Guest
I am pretty sure Smith's last innings before being dropped last time was 54*
Matt
Guest
Henriques, now Smith. Soon as someone is *sure* to flop, they come out and surprise. Except Maxwell. He was always going to flop.
Matt h
Guest
Well you can't drop smith now. Henriques has credit. Watson? Well pat Howard wouldn't pick him and neither would i
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And a single to end the day's play with Australia on 7/273. More than half those runs came for no loss before the all-too-familiar collapse saw the visitors lose seven wickets for 134. There were 50s for Ed Cowan, Dave Warner and Steve Smith, with Cowan missing a good chance to score a century. Smith came back well into the side, looked confident from the outset and ended unbeaten on 58 in 137 balls. He has Mitchell Starc for company, batting on 20 with the stand already worth 22. India will hope to bowl Australia out under 300 while they will want to get themselves up to at least 350. Back with tomorrow's play, half hour earlier than usual!
Red Kev
Guest
Not in the Australian team, exhibit A Glenn Maxwell, he thinks he is good enough so the selectors pick him
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Starc's not taking singles in that last over. Already refused a couple of the. 7/272
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Having the confidence and being good enough to do that job are two different things I suppose.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Last over of the day and it will be bowled by Ishant Sharma.