Second day rained off

The second day of the one-off Test between Bangladesh and India might have been officially called off right before tea at 1:45 pm yesterday. Those who were present at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah would tell you that the statement from the BCB's media manager, confirming the suspension of play, was merely a customary announcement.

The way the rains pounded in against the covers laid down on the ground, the decision, despite a good drainage system at the venue, was inevitable. At around half past ten yesterday morning, a dark cloud cover had formed over the stadium compelling a few journalists in the stadium to take quick glances at their wristwatches. 'Is it still dawn?' their puzzled expressions seemed to ask.

Such a trend is likely to continue throughout the rest of the Test for the weather forecast isn't promising any better news.

If there were light showers yesterday morning, the forecast for the third and fourth days predicts heavy rains in the morning. Thunderstorms are expected in the afternoons of these days followed by heavy rain.

At the moment it seems as though the match isn't likely to get a result, however, the weather is as unpredictable as the game in itself is and it's still uncertain as to what lies ahead for both teams.

For the players yesterday, it was a waiting game. They were initially told that they would leave their hotel two hours later at 10 am. That deadline soon changed to 11 am and then to 12 pm after which the umpires finally decided to call the day off.

A few of the Bangladeshi players decided to hit the gym, while others just wandered around the hotel.

Where the game is poised at the moment, with India cruising at 239 for no loss, the hosts, seemingly, could be a happy bunch. However, a glance beyond the scorecard would suggest a completely different take. Bangladesh rarely get opportunities to play Test cricket and if those chances get rained out, then that's only going to add to the problem.

There were a few questions raised regarding the scheduling of the series. "Why would they schedule a series in the month of June?" blurted a frustrated journalist. However, the discussion died out even before a second opinion was thrown in, for these were redundant questions. The answers of which have a lot to do with India's packed schedule.

"The period of June-July isn't an appropriate time to host a tournament here. But there's nothing much we can do about it since this is the only time in the year when both teams are free. That's why India had come here in June last year as well," explained BCB director Jalal Yunus.

In terms of results, it will be a progress for Bangladesh. If this match ends in a draw, it will only be the second time in eight encounters that the Tigers have managed to draw a Test against India. However, gone are the days when the Tigers would want to split the points because of rain.

One would only hope that the ODI series, which begins on June 18, puts on a better show.