Rain predicted for all 5 days of the IND vs NZ 2024 1st Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
The first Test between India and New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, scheduled to start on Wednesday, October 16, could be severely affected due to weather conditions. As per reports, there is prediction for rain on all five days of the Test match.
The series against the Kiwis is crucial for India concerning qualification for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final. India are slated to play three Tests against New Zealand at home after which they will fly to Australia for a five-match series. Rohit Sharma and company need to win at least three of their remaining eight Tests in the ongoing WTC cycle to book a place in the final.
The first India vs New Zealand Test in Bengaluru, though, looks set to be affected heavily by weather. India's training session on Tuesday was canceled due to rain. Also, The Times of India shared details of a local weather portal, which predicted a 'generally cloudy sky with heavy rain' from October 16 to October 18. The forecast is slightly better for the last two days of the Test, but the threat of rain remains.
India's previous Test against Bangladesh at Green Park in Kanpur was also affected by weather, with two full days of play being lost. The hosts, however, played some terrific cricket to win the Test by seven wickets.
What is India's Test record at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru?
India have played 24 Test matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. They have won nine Tests at the venue and lost six. The other nine matches have ended in a draw.
The most recent Test match at the venue was played between India and Sri Lanka in March 2022. The hosts won the game by 238 runs. India batted first after winning the toss and posted 252 on the board as Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 92. In reply, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 109 as Jasprit Bumrah starred with 5-24.
India declared their second innings on 303-9, with Shreyas again contributing 67 and Rishabh Pant 50. Set to chase 447, Sri Lanka were all-out for 208 despite Dimuth Karunaratne's 107 as Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 4-55.
India have played three Tests against New Zealand in Bengaluru, winning all three. The most recent meeting between the teams in Tests was in August 2012, with the hosts registering victory by five wickets.