ABANDONED MATCH: The first ODI between India and South Africa has been suspended due to rain without a ball being thrown in Dharamsala

3:50 pm: It is raining in Dharamsala, and the chances of reduced play have drifted further.

3:30 pm: That’s what everyone looks at with their fingers crossed, while the ground condition is not suitable for playing.

2:50 pm: The rain returns and the dark conditions of the roof have forced the reflectors to turn on. As a preview,
6:30 pm is the deadline
for a 20-over-a-side game.

2:28 pm: This is how it looked 10-15 minutes ago.

2:10 pm: Some joyful news! The rain stays away for the time being and the covers are removed one by one.

1:50 pm: It was not the beginning that the visitors expected; in fact, that is true for both teams, as the ground in Dharamsala continues to be covered even though the rain has stopped. But it is quite cloudy and the soil will require a lot of time and effort to dry.

1:15 pm: It has started to rain in Dharamsala, and the scheduled inspection at 1:15 pm will be postponed. The covers are in place, and a longer start delay is expected. Stay tuned for the latest.

1 pm: It is not a happy first update from the place. The garden is a little damp from the rain at night and there will be a
inspection at 1:15 pm. There should not be a long delay as it is not raining and the teams are in the park warming up.

12:50 pm It’s the start of a new series, and the South Africans are in India this time to play a three-game ODI series that begins with today’s first game at the picturesque HPCA stadium in Dharamsala.

For India, this series is important in more than one respect: (1) It comes from the back of the Virat Kohli team suffering a 0DI ODI 0-3 laundering followed by 0-2 in tests in New Zealand and (2) the hosts He wishes he could finish his international season on top.

If Indian team management is looking for context in this series, it would be about getting back into shape and fixing the team’s dented ego.

With Rohit Sharma injured, this series provides an opportunity to identify support if Shikhar Dhawan or Rohit, or both, are injured prior to the T20 World Cup.

Unlike South Africa, which is more focused on transition and identifying a group of players, India is working more in detail.