Rains threaten second one-dayer too

There is disappointment. And there is hope. Disappointment because Indian and South African A team players have moving...

There is disappointment. And there is hope. Disappointment because Indian and South African A team players have moving from place to place for a week now, trying to play some cricket, but the rains follow. After the four-day game in Dharamshala was washed out with just 70 overs being bowled, the first of the three one-dayers in Ahmedabad met with the same fate.

And the second one at IPCL ground in Vadodara? Well, fingers are crossed, as India A coach Paras Mhambrey puts it on the eve of the match. The sun did smile today, intermittently though, raising hopes for a possible contest tomorrow.

But the outfield is still wet and the slight drizzle during the day didn’t do any good. “I don’t think it will be a fifty-over game. But let’s just hope, there is at least a game tomorrow. It’s very frustrating to go from one place to the other, and being chased by rain. I saw the outfield. And you saw it too,” says India A skipper Mohammad Kaif.

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For the Proteas, it couldn’t have been worse. After losing the first game at Ferozshah Kotla, they had just got their act together in Dharamshala, scoring 264 for 4. But then the rains came.

“It’s disappointing. We are all very keen to play. But the outfield is soggy. So we would like to strike a balance between our keenness to play and preventing injury. We just can’t afford any injuries now, as our season has just begun. I saw the pitch, it looks like a typical Indian wicket,” says South Africa skipper Boeta Dippenaar.

It’s also a lost opportunity for the players of both the sides as they are trying to grab the attention of national selectors for a spot in the national team.

“Yes absolutely, it is a missed chance. And more than that it was an opportunity to play some quality cricket against international cricketers as both teams have players who represented their respective national team. We are looking forward to a possible game tomorrow,” stated Kaif.

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South Africa, meanwhile, have been bolstered after the likes of Albie Morkel and V Philander who were part of Twenty20 World Cup, joined the team. “They are the key players in the side. They will play a big role,” says Dippenaar. But only if there is a match.