First day of Hyderabad versus Maharashtra washed out

Though the sun was out in the morning and the ground workers tried their best to ensure a match-fit ground, another sharp drizzle around 12:30 p.m. and dark cloud cover dampened their spirits.

Representative image.

Heavy rains last night left many wet patches in the outfield forcing abandonment of the first day’s play in the four-day Ranji Trophy match between Hyderabad and Maharashtra at Gymkhana Ground here on Friday.

Though the sun was out in the morning and the ground workers tried their best to ensure a match-fit ground, another sharp drizzle around 12:30 p.m. and dark cloud cover dampened their spirits.

The umpires — Virender Sharma and Navdeep Singh — who had two inspections at 1:00 p.m. and then at 3:00 p.m. eventually called off the day’s play.

Rain may have played spoilsport on the first day’s play but, in a way, it also improved the chances of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha playing in this match if it starts on Saturday. For Hyderabad Cricket Association Secretary T. Seshnarayan informed Sportstar that since the two teams have not exchanged the playing elevens for this match, Ojha still can make it for this game itself. Ojha got the ‘No Objection Certificate’ from Cricket Association of Bengal yesterday facilitating his return to ‘home’ State of Hyderabad. The HCA secretary also said that all necessary formalities from their side to make Ojha eligible for selection, including registering him as the Hyderabad player, had been completed. “It is now for the selectors to take a call in Ojha’s case,” he said.