India v South Africa, first Test, day 3 as it happened: Play called off due to rain

07:05 pm: Oh, hang on. Don’t leave us just yet. PLAY HAS BEEN CALLED OFF. So after some hide and seek, it’s the end of day three which was lost without a ball being bowled. It was frustrating for fans, we suppose, but for the drought-hit Cape Town, some things are more important than cricket. The play will resume at usual time (1400 IST) tomorrow.

07:00 pm: Sorry there have been no updates for the last 45 minutes or so. We have ran out of ways to say that there are no new updates. For what it’s worth, it’s still raining. And it’s not looking good. We would say stay tuned right here for updates, but we are not that cruel. Go on, enjoy your Sunday evening. Have a jog, take your dog for a walk...

06:15 pm: This was a while back, but we have nothing new to add. (Will be quite a shame though, if we can’t have play because supersopper didn’t work)

05:50 pm: ESPNCricinfo reporting that the rain has stopped but there is some issue with the supersopper, apparently.

05:30 pm: Seeing as there is no live cricket yet, how about reliving this incredible bowling performance by India? Something like this today or tomorrow, *MIGHT* just do the trick for them.

05:15 pm: While we wait for play to resume, here’s a look at one of the brightest young cricketers in India right now. Meet Prithvi Shaw, the Indian captain at the upcoming Under-19 World Cup.

05:00 pm: Raining. Stopped raining. Raining again. Latest update is that play is not likely to start anytime soon.

04:55 pm: Some things are more important than cricket...

04:45 pm: Reports that covers are coming off from the pitch but rain is still in the air. Wet weather hide and seek, according to ESPNCricinfo. Chetan Narula says that it is, in fact, raining again.

04:25 pm: Well, obviously, the first session is now a washout. Report from PTI:

Persistent rain washed out the morning session on day three of the first Test.

Heavy showers had been forecast for Sunday and they duly arrived early in the morning. It didnt stop raining at all, instead picked up as the scheduled start time of play approached. 

04:15 pm: Still drizzling, mind you. But Chetan Narula says the Indian team is on its way to the ground.

04:05 pm: Alright then, some good news on the cricketing front from Cricket South Africa.

04:00 pm: Away from cricket, but staying with Cape Town, this is an interesting read on the Table Mountains – that beautiful backdrop to the cricket at Newlands.

Via: International Business Times

The official South African National Parks website says: “Please be aware that more people die on Table Mountain than Mount Everest.” The recent deaths are a stark reminder of the earlier warnings that the African peak is not to be taken lightly.

It is said that the Everest is home to over 200 dead bodies, making it one of the world’s largest mountain graveyards. But according to news.com.au, the Table Mountain has often claimed more lives each year than the Everest.

03:40 pm: Let’s talk about Dale Steyn. In a sad development last night, Steyn was ruled out for this Test and possibly for the rest of the series.

Ever since he made his debut in 2004, Dale Steyn seemed like he would be someone special. With South Africa boasting a strong tradition of top fast bowlers, Steyn had big boots to fill. He went about breaking and creating records for more than a decade and is poised just short of becoming the highest wicket taker for South Africa, now two behind Shaun Pollock.

Here are some charts on what makes him so special:

03:20 pm: Harsha Bhogle briefly came on air to remind us that it is still raining in Cape Town but should it clear up, the drainage should help us have some play. (Which we said a while back anyway... so nothing new there)

Meanwhile, here’s another YouTube video worth your time. Remember this incredible, incredible partnership between Sachin and Azhar at this very venue, in 1997?

03:00 pm: Update (sort of) from BCCI. Still raining. But the outfield is not covered, which is an indication that the groundstaff are confident of the drainage and starting play soon when rain stops.

02:45 pm: A little stat attack as we while away time. Virat Kohli once again got out edging the ball outside offstump to the wicket-keeper. Does it feel like it happens too often? That’s because it does.

Data Check by Anand Katakam: Kohli has consistently gets caught while playing abroad. Little over 75 per cent of his dismissals have been catches. But a significant portion of those catches went either to the keeper or the slip cordon. Of his 53 dismissals, 30 have been caught behind.

02:35 pm: When it rains during a sporting event, we are often reminded of this wonderful moment from Wimbledon. “I never thought I would perform at Center Court,” said Cliff Richards. This is just a remarkably cool video. Enjoy!

02:20 pm: It continues to rain. Again, we cannot insist enough on how important this rain is for Cape Town, which is reeling from the drought. But here’s a poll for you. How do you think this will help India?

02:15 pm: Meanwhile, if you have any queries over the weather, contact Chetan Narula (our freelance writer) on Twitter. He loves to talk about the weather.

02:05 pm: It was fleeting but it was fiery. When the South African pacers reminded the world of the thrill of watching a pace bowling quartet, it was Test cricket at its best. It was magical. It was raw emotion. And Angikaar Choudhary captures it beautifully for us here. Go on, read it. It’s a perfect nostalgia piece for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Every delivery was an event in itself. Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada – each with their unique superhuman skill – enthralled us on one of those days which reminded us why we fell for this beautiful game in the first place.  

01:50 pm: Hey, just because it is raining in Cape Town, doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. Right? There is plenty of reading to be done.

For starters, here’s Ashish Magotra, on what turned out to be the day Hardik Pandya truly arrived as a Test cricketer:

Today, Pandya would have grown as a Test cricketer. This was also the kind of innings, you expect your allrounder to play.

It was a performance that showcased not just his cricketing acumen but also his spirit. He has proved to be the X-factor that India so desperately sought, he has been the trump card that South Africa had no answer for.

01:35 pm: Shaun Pollock, on air, earlier said that the rain looks pretty heavy and we’ll be lucky to have cricket today. The forecast says rain will stop by 3 pm. We will all be weather experts

01:25 pm: We have some bittersweet news from Cape Town. Cape Town has been hit by a severe drought so the folks there will be rejoiced at the rains, but it’s not looking good for cricket.

01:15 pm: Hello all and welcome to the live blog of the day three of the first Test between India and South Africa at Newlands. We have had two absolutely fantastic days of play so far – what does day three hold?