No practice for India due to bad weather; Aussies utilise indoor facility ahead of Kolkata ODI

Courtesy: IANS

Kolkata: Indian cricket team's preparation for the second ODI match against Australia hampered due to inclement weather even as the visitors utilised the indoor facility at Kolkata's Eden Gardens stadium on Tuesday.

With the ground at Eden Gardens under cover for two days, today's trainning sessions were cancelled. There was a downpour yesterday afternoon. Eden Gardes, despite being one of the best managed grounds in India, still remains out of bounds.

"Since it's raining and the facilities are covered, they won't go to the stadium today," read an official communication from Team India.

According to a report in PTI, Aussie batsmen utilised the indoor facilities in the morning but bowlers returned to team hotel.

It's learnt that the Cricket Association of Bengal groundstaff did not take any chance as less intensity and hazy conditions prevailed, and kept the ground covered.

"We need at least two hours of sunshine to get the ground ready. We are well-equipped, we are keeping our fingers crossed. The good thing is we still have two days," East Zone curator Ashish Bhowmick told PTI.

Meanwhile, IMD Kolkata director Ganesh Das has said that there are still chances of a downpour on the match day.

"Today's condition is because of a low pressure formation which is situated at northwest Bay of Bengal and its neighbouring areas. Also, there's the axis of monsoon trough causing rainfall," Das told PTI.

The second match of five-match ODI series is scheduled for Thursday (September 21). India won the series opener by 26-run in Chennai on Sunday, which was also faced rain interruptions.