The first T20 International between India and Sri Lanka was called off without a ball being bowled due to wet outfield, caused by a spell of heavy rain just after the toss, in Guwahati on Sunday.
The umpires held several inspections but the damp patches on the pitch did not allow the match to start, much to the disappointment of fans who had gathered in large numbers to watch their favourite stars in action.
The cut off for a five-over shootout was 9.46 pm but the outfield could not be prepared in time. The groundsmen even used vacuum drier to remove the damp patches on the pitch, but it did not help much.
The second match of the three-match series will be played on Tuesday in Indore while the final game is scheduled to be held in Pune on January 10. India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was out of action for four months due to stress fractures in his back, was named in the eleven by skipper Virat Kohli, who won the toss and elected to bowl in the team’s first match of the new year.
