India vs West Indies 1st ODI Highlights: The first ODI gets abandoned due to rain (File)India vs West Indies (IND vs WI) 1st ODI Highlights: Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to field first after a delayed start due to wet outfield. The rain played spoilsport in the sixth over of the match which led to a reduced 40-over game. It was further reduced to a 34 overs per side game because of a wet patch inside the 30-yard circle. The match resumed again but only to be interrupted by rain after 13 overs and eventually getting called off.
West Indies struggled in the short span of the game played at the Providence Stadium, Guyana. Chris Gayle, playing his record 296th ODI was all set to surpass Brian Lara’s record to become the highest ODI scorer for West Indies. But, he struggled to get bat on the ball and succumbed to the pressure of dot balls losing his wicket to Kuldeep Yadav. Gayle got out after scoring just four runs from 31 deliveries. On the other hand, Evin Lewis accelerated after a slow start. He scored an unbeaten 40 from 36 balls before rain stopped play. Khaleel Ahmed turned out to be the most expensive bowler giving 27 runs in three overs including two maximum from Lewis’ bat.
Match abandoned
The first ODI has been abandoned due to rain. Just 13 overs into the match, the rain kept playing spoilsport over and over again. A disappointing start to the ODI series.
Still drizzling
It's still drizzling in Guyana. There is a glimmer of hope for a T20 clash. Stay tuned for more updates.
Rain is back
The rain gods are back to haunt the first ODI. The covers are on the field. Even a 20-over match looks unlikely now.
More update
Good news! The rain has stopped. However, wet outfield remains the main problem for groundsmen as they try to make it ready for play once again.
Groundsmen at work
More bad news from the middle. Groundsmen are trying to cover more parts of the ground. We are bound to lose more overs. Another T20 game on the cards? Maybe.
Rain plays spoilsport
It is pouring heavy in Guyana. Get ready for a long delay. This does not look like just another passing shower. Just 13 overs into the match and rain plays spoilsport yet again. WI - 54/1 in 13 overs
50 up for WI
West Indies get past the 50-run mark in the 12th over. Evin Lewis has done the bulk of the scoring in the innings so far. Lewis would try to stitch a partnership with Shai Hope to bring the inning back on track. WI - 50/1 in 12 overs
WICKET!
Told ya! Gayle goes for a big shot and ends up losing his wicket. He gives in to the pressure of a dot balls. This has been the man problem with his batting. Either he goes for big shots or plays dot balls. Kuldeep Yadav puts an end to his misery. He departs after scoring just four runs from 31 deliveries. WI - 42/1 in 10.1 overs
Kuldeep into the attack
Kuldeep Yadav keeps things tight in his first over. Just a single from it. Gayle is struggling to get past the 30-yard circle. This clearly means that a wicket or a six might just be around the corner. Gayle is still batting on 3 from 28 balls. WI - 34/0 in 9 overs
Lewis goes big
4,0,0,6,4,1. An expensive first over from Khaleel Ahmed. Evin Lewis turns on the T20 mode. He is not afraid to take the risks. Lewis moves to 26 runs from 24 deliveries. 15 runs from the over. WI - 33/0 in 8 overs
SIX!
Evin Lewis plays a pick-up shot off his hips to hit the first maximum of the match. Lewis is trying to break the shackles whereas Gayle is still trying to play himself in. He has faced 24 balls and scored just three runs. An expensive over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, nine runs from it. End of powerplay overs. WI - 18/0 in 7 overs
34 overs per side game
The first ODI resumes. Virat Kohli seems happy as he is dancing on the field. After a delayed start and rain interruption, it is going to be a 34 overs per side game. Mohammed Shami continues his over. No run scored off the remaining two deliveries as Chris Gayle tries to play himself in after the long break. WI - 9/0 in 6 overs
Umpires Nigel Duguid and Adrian Holdstock are seen in conversation with Kohli.
Possible restart at 10:40 pm
More sawdust is brought out! More sawdust is layered on the problematic damp path in the outfield. All three umpires out there to oversee Operation Sawdust, which has become more and more complicated by the minute. If the umpires are happy with how the repair job is done till 10:30 pm, we can restart in another ten minutes -- 10:40 pm IST.
Inspection at 10:30 pm
So we have official word now. An inspection will be held again at 10.30 pm IST. Which is around 15 minutes from now. The concern remains a single patch of ground on the outfield. Meanwhile, Dhawan has found that Shreyas Iyer's shoulders are a nice spot for a doze. He has been in that position for the last half an hour now. Kuldeep and Chahal are having a laidback discussion with Rohit Sharma. Rohit seems to be disagreeing with the two spinners on something. The West Indies players can also be seen lounging in the team balcony.
Waiting for word
There is yet to be official word on when we could restart proceedings, but it does not like we shall start before 10:30 pm. The umpires and groundsmen are all clustered around one problematic part of the field. Shikhar Dhawan has dozed off! Now, the umpires are talking to Kohli and Holder. Wonder what is being discussed. There is a BIG bag of sawdust still lying on the ground. No paucity of sawdust then. There is some other problem with that damp spot.
Update
There will be an inspection at 10:15 PM (IST) and if the umpires are happy with the conditions, we might have play starting at 10:20, informs Murali Kartik on air. The umpires come out, probably ahead of schedule, to inspect the repair work being done. A LOT of sawdust has been applied on the problem patches in the outfield.
Players go off again
The umpires decide that the ground staff need more time and the players are walking off the field. Again! We might be set to lose more overs.
Damp spots in outfield being attended to
Dust being poured by ground staff on the wet spots in the outfield. Meanwhile, Kohli seems to be dancing with anybody who he can get to follow his steps. Kedar Jadhav is his first victim. An unsuspecting ground staff member his second.
Kohli and Gayle have a ball
Kohli and Gayle try their dance moves together. Evin Lewis and Rishabh Pant are also seen sharing a joke. It's been a frustrating stop-start kind of day today, but good to see the players are in high spirits. There are damp spots on the outfield and the umpires call for a woolen carpet to try and dry them out.
Players are out again
India are back on the field. Gayle and Lewis are readying to come back on as well. The first powerplay will be till the 8th over and the last powerplay will be from the 33rd over. Kohli is seen entertaining the crowd with some dance moves. The umpires are deep in discussion though. There still seems to be a problem with the condition of the ground.
Match reduced to a 40-over match
Official word in - we shall resume in another 10 minutes - 9.50 pm (IST). But we have lost 6 more overs and we are now to have a 40-over match. All bowlers to bowl a maximum of 8 overs. The outfield is being dried with ropes at the moment.
Covers being taken off again
The covers are taken off again as the Sun makes a bright appearance. The ground staff have wide smiles on their faces as they drag the heavy sheets off. They look like they are getting used to this. They've done this a few times already today, and something seems to tell us this might not be the last time they need to drag the covers on and off the field. The umpires are out on the field again.
Play interrupted again
Rains come down again. Again, the skies open up with surprising speed. The umbrellas are out. Kohli is gesticulating animatedly while leading his boys off the field. When is he not though! West Indies are 9 for no loss after 5.4 overs.
Tight start from Bhuvneshwar
Bhuvi bowls another very tight over. No inches given. Has given away just 2 runs in his three overs so far. Gayle and Lewis continue their vigil. They do not want to give anything away in these early stages either.
Lucky Lewis
Replays show Lewis would have been a gonner had India gone for a review there. That ball by Buvi nipped back in into the pads. It would have clipped the top of leg stump. India, however, did not go for the review.
Slow start from Gayle
Chris Gayle is taking his time before going into explosion mode. Has played 16 balls for 3 runs so far today. Lewis also happy to wait and watch for now. Just has the one run from five balls so far. Two leg byes come for West Indies after a lbw appeal is turned down and then a direct hit deflects past a fielder for two runs. That has been the most eventful delivery in the match so far and also the most productive for West Indies.
Shami bowls the 2nd over
Mohammed Shami returns for India for the first time after the World Cup. He has always had a special liking for the West Indies team. How will he fare today? And the first run comes! Lewis gets it off Shami with a single. Gayle gets his first run with a single as well. West Indies 2/0 after 2 overs
We're off
Gayle, Lewis walk out. Bhuvneshwar Kumar starts for India. And six dot balls is how we start off. Bhuvneshwar starts off with a maiden. West Indies are none for none after one over.
India to chase again
Kohli says at the toss that he took the decision to bowl first because the chasing side will have the advantage in such a rain-shortened game. Gayle, returning to the West Indies side, needs 13 more runs to go past Brian Lara to become the highest run scorer for a Windies player in ODI history. We expect to see him out there soon. This is his 296th ODI, which is the most by a Windies player.
Windies XI
West Indies XI: Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Shai Hope(w), Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Jason Holder(c), Carlos Brathwaite, Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Kemar Roach
"We have left out Keemo Paul, Oshane Thomas and John Campbell," says Holder.
India XI
India XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, K Khaleel Ahmed
"We have left out Chahal, Saini, KL Rahul and Manish Pandey. We are looking at the new guys, giving them time and let them settle," Kohli says at the toss.
West Indies to bat first
Kohli wins the toss and opts to field first in the 1st ODI. The hosts will bat first. The match has been reduced to a 43-over match, remember. Which means each bowler will have a maximum quota of 9 overs.
Toss in 10 minutes
There's official word finally. We shall have the toss at 8:30 pm IST. The match is to start at 9 pm IST. We shall have a 43-over match. So, we have lost two hours and 14 overs.
More time required
The pitch has been kept covered still and a slight drizzle is still giving trouble in Guyana. We don't have the contest we wanted to see, but there is a different sort of contest happening at the moment:
More showers
Well, there's a bit of an anti-climax here. The skies have opened up again. And the covers come rushing out again. And the the rains stop just as suddenly as they had come. We are still on course for the full quota of overs to be played today. If there is no more rain.
Covers coming off
The covers are coming off and the sun is out in all its glory. Things are only getting better in Guyana. Hopefully, we will have some official word on when the match can start soon.
Rain has stopped
Some good news from Guyana. The showers have stopped. Now for the next phase. Which is to get the ground ready for action. If the rains hold up from here on, we could see action very soon. Ground staff are removing water from covers at the moment.
Guyana rains
This is the same venue - the Providence Stadium in Guyana - which hosted the third T20I, the start of which was delayed as well. However, the good news is that the skies are predicted to clear up as the day progresses.
Guyana rains
This is the same venue which hosted the third T20I - Providence Stadium in Guyana, The start of that match was delayed to rain as well and we are sure to have a delayed start today as well. The good news is that the rains are forecast to stop soon. Showers were predicted in the morning, with skies clearing up as the day progresses.