The weather played spoilsport as heavy rains washed outplay on the opening day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at theChidambaram Stadium today.
The abandonment meant star batsman Sachin Tendulkarwill have to wait for his world record 35th Test century as also former captainSaurav Ganguly who was returning to the national team after being ignored forthe one-day series against Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Play was officially called off at 11.30 am but it waswas a foregone conclusion once it began to rain in the wee hours.
There was a brief respite in the morning, kindlinghopes of a delayed start but the skies opened again at around 9.30 am and therains did not relent after that.
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Play will begin at 9.00 am in the next four days with aminimum of 97 overs each day. But the forecast of a severe thunderstorm for thenext four days has put a doubt on whether the match can start at all.
The sporting public of Chennai had been a disappointedlot after the washout of the one-day international between India and SouthAfrica on Nov 22.
The venue had hosted Sri Lanka's first Test in India in1982 when the islanders forced Sunil Gavaskar's men to fight for a draw even asthe flair of Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis captured the imagination of thecricketing world.
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None from the current team, however, has played a Test in Chennai. Coach TomMoody, though, made his ODI debut as part of the World Cup winning Australianteam in 1987 when Allan Border's men clinched a one-run victory off thepenultimate ball over Kapil's Devils.
For Indian cricket fans, their wait to see Tendulkarcreate a world record will continue. Tendulkar has 34 tons to his name, the sameas his compatriot and former captain Sunil Gavaskar, and the highest for aplayer in Tests.
It is also an important game for Ganguly who had a spatwith coach Greg Chappell on the tour of Zimbabwe and was subsequently removed ascaptain.
Selected for just one Test, this is literally a litmustest for the Bengal player who is India's most successful captain.
Also put on hold was the rivalry between Tendulkar andthe record-breaking off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
It remains to be seen how lucky the venue would turnout to be for the bowler with 563 wickets in 95 Tests after an ordinary show inthe one-day series.
PTI
