More rain, more disappointment and yet hope

The first day of the new year began with sad news but ended on a hopeful note. The second day of the three day game at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Pune was washed out without a ball being bowled. The heavy downpour on Sunday left the ground flooded and unfit for play. The good news is that the skies are clear and the sun is shining bright.

The chances of having play on Monday were washed away by the evening showers late on Sunday. The condition of the ground was still unplayable at 12:30 PM when Umpires TK Handu and SD Ranade made the second inspection and called off play.

The West Zone team did not turn up at the grounds on Monday but Coach Vilas Godbole was present at the stadium. The England team arrived at the grounds hoping for a few hours of play late on the second day but had to leave disappointed as the ground was still soggy. There is still hope for the tourists as both Umpires and Coaches have decided to play a limited overs game on the last day.

The West Zone Coach has suggested a game with no restrictions on the quota of overs bowled by each bowler. The tourists should not be complaining to the suggestion as it will give them a chance to test their bowlers in longer spells if they wish to do so.

The conditions on Monday are bright and sunny. The clear sky gave a glimpse of hope for the players. Both the teams are optimistic and keyed up to have some cricket on the last day. The hopes are high that the teams will get to display their skills after all in Pune.

The England Under-19 team departs for Mumbai on Tuesday where they will be facing Rest of India Under-19 in a three day game and India Under-19 in the first Test.

Fortunately, they will reach Mumbai with some match practice under their belts. Tuesday, January 2nd was to be the last day of the three day game between England Under-19s and West Zone Under-19s. With rain washing out the first two days' play, it has been decided that the third day be turned into a limited overs affair. Both teams are keen to slug it out in the middle, and this can only be good for the game.