Country's meteorological department director stresses that rain always hits India's neighbour in June which does not augur well for the remaining four days of the first Test and the three-match ODI series
Such a dampener: Bangladeshi groundstaff cover the playing field as rain stops play during the opening day of the first Test between Bangladesh and India at Fatullah yesterday
Rain will not only hamper the ongoing India vs Bangladesh Test at Fatullah. The three-match one-day international series in Dhaka (June 18, 21 and 24) will be affected by wet weather as well, according to Mohammad Shahalam, the director at Bangladesh's meteorological department.
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Such a dampener: Bangladeshi groundstaff cover the playing field as rain stops play during the opening day of the first Test between Bangladesh and India at Fatullah yesterday. Pic/AFP
Bangladesh's Test No 49 at home is the first ever to be held in June since they got Test recognition in 2000. Speaking from Dhaka yesterday, Shahalam said: "The four-month rainy season in Bangladesh starts from June 10. The first few days here are weak monsoon days (expected rainfall 40mm in 24 hours) but it becomes a moderate monsoon (40 to 80mm in 24 hours) and then gradually, the heavy rainy season (above 80 mm in 24 hours) begins in this country. Rain in the remaining days of this Test match is not ruled out."
Fatullah is located about 7-8 km South-East of this meteorological office in Bangladesh. Interestingly, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not check with the Meteorological Department about the arrival of the monsoons, he confirmed. "All people in this country are aware that it rains during this time of the year. That they decided to host matches during this period is their headache," Shahalam signed off.
Floodlights on
AFP adds: Just 56 of the stipulated 90 overs were bowled during the day as rain, which arrived 25 minutes before lunch, washed out the entire post-lunch session. Floodlights had to be switched on in the morning session to allow play to take place as threatening dark clouds loomed overhead. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said the tourists were not fretting about the forecast of uncertain weather for all five days.
"Cricket is a game where even if you look to control the controllables, it is sometimes hard," said Ashwin. "We can't really control the weather because that is out of our reach. "But if we put our best foot forward and the time is there, and if we bowl really well, we can enforce a result. We'd just like to control the controllables."
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