1st day`s play in Duleep Trophy final called off due to wet outfield

Kochi: The first day` proceedings of the Duleep Trophy final between North Zone and South Zone was called off without a ball being bowled due to heavy outfield which was not conducive for competitive cricket.

Umpires Suresh Shastri and Sanjay Hazare decided to call off day`s play after their post-lunch inspection in which they found that lot of wet areas are there in the outfield. With the sun not shining brightly, there was no chance of the outfield drying up which led to them calling off proceedings on the day. The weather has been inclement in Kochi over past one week which lead to North winning their semi-final against East by virtue of spin of coin with only two full days of play possible. Since the match is being televised live, it is not possible for BCCI to shift the venue due to logistical difficulties pertaining to live coverage. Even South Zone, who played both their matches at the Chepauk won rain-interrupted games. The southern part of India experiences substantial rainfall during the months of October and November and one could question the logic of scheduling the matches at this time of the year.