Rain wreaked havoc on Day 1 of India’s maiden Test against New Zealand at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. On Day 1, play was canceled due to persistent rain, with no ball being bowled or even the toss taking place. However, even when the rain ceased, another technological glitch slowed play. The hawk-eye device, which is critical to the operation of the Decision Review device (DRS), could not be installed in the ground owing to rain.
Former India cricketer-turned-pundit Saba Karim claimed on television that the hawk-eye technology can only be applied and incorporated into the ground when the covers are removed. Rain before to the game and during Day 1 prevented the formatting process from taking place. According to Saba Karim, the formatting takes approximately an hour and a half. At no point during the day did the coverings remain removed for so long, making starting play nearly impossible.
The difficulty in installing the hawk-eye equipment resulted in play being canceled earlier on Day 1. While not much rain is predicted in the late hours of Wednesday, October 16, rain is expected to play spoilsport on Day 2. 40% precipitation is expected, with cloud cover remaining steady throughout Day 2. Rain is expected on all five days of the Test.
India enters the three-match home series as clear favorites, sitting atop the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. New Zealand, on the other hand, ranks sixth and has never won an away Test in WTC history.