First day's play called off as rain has final say

The famous English fickle weather showed its true colours on Thursday that forced the abandonment of the first day’s play of the second Test between India and England here at Lord’s.

The drizzle started about 7 am, welcoming both the teams as they entered the famous venue. It then grew in intensity, halting only around 30 minutes before tea. The umpires conducted their first inspection at 3:40 pm as hopes emerged of some play.

The rain stayed away until the umpires conducted the second inspection at 4:30 pm. But moments after they retreated to their room, the dark clouds returned, bringing with them heavy rain. The umpires were then left with no choice but to call off the day’s play.

While the Londoners welcomed the rain and cold after being roasted by the scorching summer sun over the last couple of months, many fans who braved the wet weather and made the trip to the revered venue were left disappointed.

Despite the steady rain, many stayed put in the stands, showing their unabashed love for Test cricket. Some took shelter under umbrellas while most spent their time lazing around in the stands or at the many stalls erected inside the stadium. Sadly, all that wait didn’t bear fruit as they had to return home dejected.

The forecast for Friday is also not very heartening. According to Met Office, the start of play may see sunshine but rain is expected between 1 pm to 5 pm. Fans and players would just be hoping the predictions turn out to be false.

Meanwhile, bored in the dressing room, Indian skipper Virat Kohli -- in the company of Shikhar Dhawan, Karun Nair, Shardul Thakur and Jasprit Bumrah -- spent some time in the indoor nets and in the gym. They were accompanied by team trainer Shankar Basu. England openers Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings followed them a while later.

Streakers

Fans, who were waiting to see some action in the middle, finally got one, albeit of a different kind. Two streakers ran to the centre of the ground and took a dive into the puddles. The marshals were quick on their feet though, escorting the streakers immediately.