No chance of rain, full 50-over match on cards in Kolkata

Photo: ABP New Delhi: Sun has at last stopped playing hide-and-seek and has decided to appear to its fullest in Kolkata, giving rise to hopes of a full 50-over contest between India-Australia with an on-time start on Thursday. The Weatherman predicted no rain on Thursday evening, effectively ruling out any chances of a washout after continuous down pour for two days due to cyclonic rainfall in Kolkata. The pitch, which remained under covers for more than two days, saw brief day-light on Wednesday. But on Thursday morning, it baked under the bright sun, providing ample of opportunity for the grass on it to come to life. The Cricket Association of Bengal led by president Sourav Ganguly left no stones unturned in order to keep the ground dry and match ready. Special covers were used to cover the entire stretch of the ground. However, some parts of the ground are still under covers but CAB officials confirmed that there is nothing to worry as the covers are on merely for precaution. The team winning the toss would be tempted to bowl first to make full use of the grassy Eden track. And if the form of Nathan Coulter-Nile and Pat Cummins is anything to go by then the Indian batting line-up will be up for another stern test on Thursday. The Indian team was robbed off valuable practice time because of the rain, while the Australians trained indoors for the last two days. With India leading the five-match series 1-0, the mouth watering second ODI will begin from 1.30 pm local time if the weather continues to be the same.