India vs South Africa: First ODI called off due to rain

The first ODI between India and South Africa has been called off due to rain at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday (March 12).

There was heavy rain overnight which delayed toss in the afternoon. There was an inspection initially scheduled for 1:15 PM IST, but the rain started soon after which delayed proceedings further.

There was some respite from the rain for sometime in the afternoon, but once the heavens opened again, there was never going to be play possible. While the cut-off time for a 20-over match was 6:30 PM IST, the match was officially abandoned more than an hour before that.

Interestingly, the T20I series between the same two teams in 2019 also began with an abandoned match at the same venue. 

India came into this series without a win in their last five international matches, losing 3-0 in the ODIs and 2-0 in the Tests in New Zealand. On the other hand, South Africa – after going almost a year without winning a series in any format – got the better of a strong Australian side by a 3-0 margin in an ODI series at home.

The second ODI is scheduled to take place in Lucknow on Sunday (March 15).