ODI series opener in Dharamsala under rain threat

Shimla: The opening One-day International (ODI) between and Sri Lanka in Himachal Pradesh's picturesque stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday has come threat with the local weather bureau on Friday forecasting widespread rain and snow in the state.

An active western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India on December 10 with peak activity on the two subsequent days, Manmohan Singh, director of the Meteorological Office in Shimla, told IANS.

"Isolated heavy rain and snowfall very likely to occur over Himachal Pradesh on December 11 and 12 and scattered activity on December 13," he said.

The HPCA is, however, not worried about the Met Office forecasts.

"Our groundsmen are fully prepared to handle any situation owing to the rainfall. We even have three super soakers to mop up the ground," Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) media manager Mohit Sood told IANS.

The HPCA stadium is situated at an altitude of 4,000 feet in the backdrop of the Dhauladhar ranges that are already wrapped in a thick blanket of snow.

It became a part of the international cricket map in 2005, when it hosted a warm-up tie between the touring Pakistan team and the Indian Board President's XI.