The first day of the 2nd England vs India Test match at the Lord's has been called off due to heavy rain on Thursday. As the weather played the spoilsport, not a single ball could be bowled and even the toss couldn't take place. It was expected that the situations might turn favourable by the end of the second session but continuous drizzling didn't allow the game to commence.
Earlier today, the first session got washed away due to a heavy shower. The match officials decided to take an early lunch, moving the scheduled break ahead by 30 minutes. Even after lunch, there was no respite from the rain and it went on throughout the afternoon.
A few players, including Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings, did make their way to the indoor nets to pass time.
Despite a good drainage system, the conditions remained unplayable throughout the day. As the scheduled tea break came over, there was some weather clearance in the distance and the rain did slow down. The umpires came out and had a chat with the ground staff as well, who were regularly cleaning off water from the covers.
After a few hours, the match officials finally took the decisiona and called the day off. The match will resume again on Friday, however, the overcast conditions are likely to remain as it is.
Since the weather has played the spoilsport, the toss, which is yet to happen, will be tricky for both the sides. It has to be decided whether batting first would be beneficial considering the dryness of the track or bowling under the overcast conditions would be advantageous.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has shared the lunch menu, available for the cricketers on day 1 at Lord's. At least this list of mouth-watering dishes could entertain the fans for a while!
Hosts England lead the five-match series after their 31-run victory in the gripping first Test at Birmingham.
The Indian team would expect its floundering batsmen to take more responsibility in pursuit of a series-levelling win at the Lord's. If captain Virat Kohli had got support from his batting colleagues in Birmingham, the scenario would have been completely different.
The world number one Test side came close to taking the lead but fell short in the end. India could make changes in the playing XI.
Team News
India:
Selecting the playing XI for this game isn’t going to be an easy task for captain Kohli and the team management. If they want to have Pujara in the side then who will face the axe? Dhawan disappointed with the bat and on the field which makes him the prime candidate to be benched at Lord’s. Second on the list is KL Rahul who could make the way following his performance in Birmingham.
As far as the bowling unit is concerned, Kohli has already hinted that he might go with two spinners this time. Kuldeep and Jadeja will be vying for the spot but it has to be seen whether the skipper sticks to his master plan following the overcast conditions which even delayed the toss.
England
The hosts have already announced a 12-man squad for the Lord’s Test. They have left out James Porter for the second Test, and have confirmed that Ollie Pope will be given his debut cap. However, it’s yet to be decided that whom to choose between Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, which would depend on their reading of the pitch on the first morning.
Squads:
India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Karun Nair, Shardul Thakur
England: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root(c), Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow(w), Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Moeen Ali