India vs New Zealand

2024 - 10 - 16

Rain, Rain, Go Away: A Test Match's Tryst with Bengaluru's Weather!

Bengaluru weather - India vs New Zealand - M Chinnaswamy Stadium - Rohit Sharma - Test cricket - World Test Championship

When your first Test match day turns into a rainy episode, what do you do? You grab your popcorn and watch the umbrella highlights!

As the cricket world tuned in for the highly anticipated 1st Test match between India and New Zealand at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, fans were excited for a thrilling contest. Unfortunately, day one turned into a rainswept affair that left enthusiasts gaping at the gloomy skies instead of cheering wickets. Just as cricket fever began to rise, Mother Nature had other plans with relentless downpours making the pitch look more like a swimming pool than a cricket ground. Despite the team’s high spirits and potential glory on the line, it was a calamity of clouds that brought play to a standstill.

With hopes pinned on the day’s action, followers were left perplexed as heavy rain washed out not just the innings, but the entire day! Umpires called off play at around 2:34 PM, and Jio Cinema's Saba Karim couldn’t keep his spirits up under his bright, but undoubtedly transparent umbrella, providing ‘coverage’ of a different kind. Fans took to social media, sharing memes that compared the match to a soggy pizza rather than a spicy cricket showdown! At this rate, they mused, the only score happening was the rain gauge.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Indian cricket. With India placed at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table and New Zealand right behind, the stakes are still sky-high for the series. The Indian team hopes to convert their stellar performance into a win that solidifies their bid for the 2025 World Test Championship Final. Yet, with Bengaluru's unpredictable weather showing no signs of letting up, fans are left nervously refreshing their weather apps as much as their cricket feeds.

Rain in Bengaluru is not just a seasonal nuisance but has also been known to create quite the stir in the cricketing world. In fact, the city recorded over 120 mm of rainfall in just 48 hours before the match! As if awaiting a surprise twist of fate, the cricket fraternity remains eager for a day of play. Until then, they'll have to rely on weather forecasts and brave spirits to guide their hopes for clearer skies.

Fun fact: Bengaluru is known for its erratic rain patterns, which often leave sports enthusiasts with a mix of anticipation and disappointment. Interestingly, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has a history of being ironically dubbed the ‘Raincap’ due to similar weather woes. And here's a statistic— over the years, rain-affected matches have brought fan favorites like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli to the pitch, leading to some legendary comebacks! So, here's to hoping that as the series unfolds, the showers give way to the sweet sound of bat on ball!

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Sportstar"

India vs New Zealand

Rain, Rain, Go Away: A Test Match's Tryst with Bengaluru's Weather!

Explore the last week