Published: Jan 06, 2019, 06:51 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 06, 2019, 06:51 AM (IST)
Prolonged and steady rain Sunday prevented any play on the fourth morning at the Sydney Cricket Ground, forcing the match officials to call an early lunch.
A combination of bad light, first, and then light rain prevented pay from resuming on time and the to and fro continued all morning.
A truncated third day’s play meant play on day four was scheduled to begin 30 minutes earlier at 10:00am local time, but as the SCG floodlights came on and the ground staff put on the covers, chances of a timely start receded. When the rain returned, the umpires left the field. (LIVE UPDATES: DAY 4, SCG TEST)
For those asking what’s happening…
Absolutely nothing. Even those four security guys have been standing like that for last 45 minutes. Tough job! #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/n2mu3TaCbM
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) January 6, 2019
Subsequent inspections were attempted, but the rain did not abate. A brief window after the first hour rolled by allowed the umpires a chance to inspect conditions, and the covers were then rolled off, but the return of a drizzle which turned into heavier rainfall forced the SCG ground staff to bring back the covers.
The sky remained heavily overcast and the umpires decided that there was no alternative but to call lunch at the scheduled time, with the covers remaining on.
Australia are 236/6 in reply to India’s 622/7 declared. Catch up with day three’s action here.
