Dharamsala: The ODI series opener between India and South Africa has been abandoned without a ball being bowled, due to persistent rains in Dharamsala. Earlier, the toss was delayed due to wet conditions and eventually the officials called off the match. The second match of the series will be played in Lucknow on Sunday, March 15 while the third and final match will be in Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens on March 18.

It was the second match in less than six months to be abandoned at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium because of inclement weather.


The first ODI of the three-match series was always in doubt as the forecast showed dark clouds looming large over the skies in Dharamsala. There were always high chances of rain causing interruptions to the match both in the afternoon and evening. 'Mostly cloudy with a little rain' was earlier the prediction for Thursday afternoon, with 'a couple of evening thunderstorms' in Dharamsala on March 12, according to AccuWeather.

Heavy rain had also lashed the hill town just after the two teams' practice sessions on Wednesday, forcing the organisers to cover the entire playing area. If that was not enough, it rained the entire night on the eve of the match.

It was overcast for major part of the day and heavens opened up just before the start. It rained on and off after that, forcing the toss to be delayed and bringing ground staff into action.

The rain was not that heavy but was enough for water to accumulate, forcing organisers to press three super-soppers into action.

But despite working tirelessly, the ground staff failed to clear the ground, forcing the on-field umpires to call off the match.

The cut-off time for a 20-over game was 6.30pm (IST) but the on-field umpires made their final inspection and decided to abandon the match much before that.

(With PTI inputs)