So a disappointing end to the 1st ODI in Guyana. We now move to Trinidad for the 2nd and 3rd ODIs. The 2nd ODI is to be played on 11th August, 2019, i.e., Sunday. That game will begin at 0930 Local (1330 GMT). Make sure you join us for that one. Till then, cheers!
Indian skipper, Virat Kohli tells that it is the worst part of cricket when there are stop and start games. Tells that it is important to look after injuries as these stop and start games can cause a lot of them. Admits it would have been a risk to play on that surface after rain. On how the game has changed since the 2015 World Cup, Kohli feels it has come a long way. Gives example of World Champions, England who have changed the way they play cricket. Further adds that the game is developing and the guys are getting fitter and sharper in the field. On the remaining games, Kohli tells that few of the pitches will test you as some might have pace and bounce and some might be slower and different. Tells that is the specialty of Caribbean Islands as each venue offers a different challenge. Kohli feels the team that plays good and solid cricket will end up on the winning side.
West Indies skipper, Jason Holder says that it is very frustrating not to have a full game. On the opening stand, Holder says they assessed the conditions well. Says it was important for them to get some time out in the middle. On being asked how they can defeat India and what are they looking for in this series, Holder tells his side is looking for consistency as they have disappointed in the recent tournaments.
Update 1512 Local (1912 GMT) - MATCH HAS BEEN ABANDONED! The thing we feared the most has happened. The rain caused trouble throughout the day and when it did not rain, the water that the rain gods left behind proved to be the thorn. In the end the combination of both was enough for the umpires to abandon this game.
Update 1505 Local (1905 GMT) - It continues to drizzle here in Guyana and if we are to have a 20-over game then it must resume by 1600 Local. It looks grim but let's pray that we do get the game.
Update 1440 Local (1840 GMT) - Our happiness is short lived as the rain has started once again.
Update 1430 Local (1830 GMT) - There is a good news. The rains have stopped and slowly the covers are coming off too.
Update 1355 Local (1755 GMT) - Not a news you would have wanted to hear. The rain is getting heavier and more covers are on the ground now.
Kuldeep with the ball now. Oh no! This is bad! It has started to rain again and the players are once again off the field. The covers are coming back on. This is the sight every cricket fan absolutely hates to see.
Length ball on off, Hope punches it to point.
On the pads, Lewis glances it to square leg and gets a couple as the fielder from fine leg cleans it up.
Good length ball on off, Lewis nudges it wide of cover and gets to the other end.
Bouncer! Lewis sits under it.
On the pads, Hope flicks it towards mid-wicket and gets a single.
Good length ball on the body, Hope defends it off the front foot.
Khaleel is back on.
Flighted on off, Lewis blocks it to get through the over.
Tossed up on off, Hope strokes it to long off for one.
On the pads, Lewis flicks it to the on side for a single.
Now Hope manages to stroke it wide of mid off for one.
Flighted on off, Hope pushes it to mid off.
Jadeja is welcomed with three. Ravindra bowls it short around off, Lewis punches it through cover-point. Shreyas Iyer gives it a chase and manages to pull it just before the ropes. He lobs it back to Dhawan who was running from cover. The batsmen meanwhile comeback for the third.
Ravindra Jadeja into the attack now. He replaces the young Khaleel Ahmed.
Dot to finish the over. Kuldeep flights one on the stumps, Hope defends it off the front foot.
Shorter on off, Shai punches it to cover.
Floats one on the stumps, Hope blocks it off the front foot.
Floated on off, Lewis nudges it to long off and rotates the strike.
Hope is off the mark straightaway. Tossed up on middle, Hope strokes it towards long on and gets to the other end.
Shai Hope is the new man in.
OUT! Bowled! The Universe Boss is out of here. West Indies lose their first wicket and it is the wrist spinner who has given India the breakthrough. Kuldeep flights one on middle and off, Gayle looks to go for the big heave. The ball though turns in and takes the inside edge of Gayle's bat and goes onto disturbs the stumps. Big wicket for India as everyone knows how dangerous Gayle can be.
Good fielding but cannot stop the single. Full on off, Gayle drives it hard to the left of cover. Dhawan there dives to his left and stops the ball. He does not do so cleanly allowing them to take one. Another expensive over from Khaleel. 23 runs off Khaleel's 2 overs.
Full on off, Gayle pushes it to cover. He is yet to join Lewis in the party.
Follows the maximum with a smart single. Length ball on middle and leg, EL tucks it towards mid-wicket and gets a run.
SIX! Lewis looks in the mood today! Khaleel once again bowls it shorter but it is not short enough to trouble the batter. Lewis picks it early and demolishes it over the square leg fence for a biggie.
Fuller on off, Lewis drives it back to the left of Khaleel.
Length delivery on off, Lewis taps it back to the bowler.
Tossed up on the stumps, Gayle defends it to get through the over. Tidy start from Kuldeep. Just a single off it.
Shorter on off, Gayle punches it to point.
Flighted outside off, Gayle leaves it alone.
Floated on off, Gayle defends it off the front foot.
Shorter now on off, Lewis punches it through extra cover for one.
Beauty to begin with! Kuldeep starts with a flighted ball on off, it is slower though the air. Lewis looks to defend but the ball spins away and beats him all ends up.
Kuldeep Yadav is into the attack now.
Single to end the over. 15 runs off Khaleel' first. Expensive start for him. The last ball is pushed wide of cover by Evin and he keeps the strike.
FOUR! Maximum followed by a boundary. Khaleel overpitches it on middle, Lewis gets on his front foot and creams it through mid on for a boundary.
SIX! Lewis has demolished that. Back of a length ball on middle and leg, Lewis gets on his back foot and whacks his pull over the mid-wicket fence for a mammoth six.
Once again flicks it but cannot go past mid-wicket.
Corrects his line and bowls it on middle and leg, Evin flicks it but finds mid-wicket.
FOUR! Bad start for Khaleel. He misses his line and bowls the first one down the leg side, Lewis just helps it fine down the leg side and the ball races away to the fine leg fence for a boundary.
Khaleel Ahmed is now into the attack.
Powerplay 2 is under way! Now 4 players can be placed outside the circle.
Good length ball outside off, Gayle shoulders arms to it to get through the over.
Good length ball on off, Gayle pushes it to point and gets a single.
Very good fielding. Saved a certain boundary. Fuller outside off, Lewis drives it brilliantly towards point. Kedar Jadhav there dives to his left and saves a certain boundary. He saves a certain boundary but cannot stop the single.
SIX! First one of the game! Shorter ball on middle and leg, Lewis picks it early and pulls it over deep square leg. The fielder at square leg thinks that he has a chance but he is just a spectator.
WIDE! Proper wide this one. It is down the leg side and away from Lewis who once again misses his flick.
WIDE! Bhuvneshwar misses his line and bowls one down the leg side. Lewis looks to flick and this was not far away from his pads.
Another inside edge but Lewis survives. Bhuvneshwar bowls it full around off, Lewis looks to drive but gets an inside edge onto the pads. The ball then rolls wide of the leg pole.
Another inside edge! Inswinging ball on a length around off and middle, Lewis looks to play it on the off side but gets an inside edge onto the pads.
Ohh! Shami steams in and bowls an inswinging ball on off, Gayle looks to defend but it goes off the inside edge towards square leg. Just one run of this very long 6th over.
Shami comes around the wicket and bowls a full ball close to off, Gayle pushes it to the left of cover but no run.
Okay this time, we will go slow. The umpires are out in the middle. The Indian players follow them out. Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle stride out to resume their innings. Gayle will be on strike and Shami will bowl out the remaining 2 balls of his 3rd over.
UPDATE 1306 Local - Good news!!! The game will resume at 1310 Local. The overs have now been further reduced. It is a 34-over game now.
We are hearing that there will be an inspection at 1300 Local.
This is commentator's curse now. We were all set, the players were out in the middle but the wet patches are taking their sweet time to set off and the players once again walk back to the pavilion.
We are back for the resumption. Gayle and Lewis walk back out to the middle to continue their innings. Shami to bowl the remaining 2 balls to finish the over. Another small delay as the groundstaff are clearing the wet patches.
Just a confirmation. It is now a 40-over game. With the Powerplay 1 now reduced to 8 overs. Powerplay 2 to be from over no. 9 to over no. 32 and the last 8 to be Powerplay 3.
Graeme Swann on air informs us that it is now a 40-over game and we will resume at 1220 Local (1620 GMT).
Update 1203 Local (1603 GMT) - Good news!!! Yippie, the rains have stopped and the dark clouds have moved away. We should resume soon now.
Oh no! Just what we did not want! The heavens have opened up again and the players are off the field and the groundsmen are out with the covers.
Fuller on middle and leg, Gayle pushes it to mid on. Oh no! The clouds are getting dark...and it has started to rain.
On the pads of Gayle this time, Chris though cannot glance it past square leg.
On the pads, Lewis flicks it to the on side and gets a single.
Fuller ball on middle and leg, Evin defends it back towards the bowler.
Once again outside off and Chris leaves it alone.
Around off, Gayle punches it to cover.
Edged but safe! Lewis riding his luck here. Bhuvneshwar bends his back and hits the deck hard on off. The ball moves away and finds the outside edge of Evin's defensive blade. It flies towards the vacant gully region and towards the man at third man. Single taken.
Back of a length ball on off, EL blocks it off his back foot.
Length ball on leg, Lewis looks to flick but misses and gets hit high on the pads.
Back of a length ball on off, Lewis defends it off the back foot.
Single to end the over! Fuller on off, Lewis pushes it wide of mid on for one.
Unnecessary from Kedar. Shami bowls a length ball which comes in to the left-hander. Lewis looks to defend but the ball nips in and hits him on the pads. Indian players ask the question but the umpire is unmoved. In the meantime, the ball rolls to the side of the pitch on the leg side, Kedar gets to it and sees that Lewis is outside his crease so he has a shy at the keeper's end. He hits the stumps but Lewis is back in. The ball deflects off the stumps towards deep point. Allowing the batsman to steal two leg byes. Hold on a minute, India have missed the trick here. Replays roll in later on and Hawk Eye shows that the ball was going to hit the leg pole. Maybe the overthrow took the attention away.
Away from the off pole, Lewis does not tease that one.
On top of the stumps, Lewis blocks it with a straight bat.
Length ball on off, Gayle pushes it wide of cover and gets to the other end.
Very full on off, Gayle does really well to keep it out.
Quick single to end the over. Fuller on off, Gayle pushes it wide of mid off and scampers to the other end to keep the strike. The fielder has a shy at the stumps but misses.
Hits the deck hard on off, Gayle defends it off the back foot.
Good length ball around off, Chris leaves it alone.
Slight sign of aggression. Gayle comes down the track for the first time. He looks to flick this length ball on middle and off, Chris is early though and he ends up hitting it back to the bowler off the upper half of his bat.
Back of a length ball on off, Gayle looks to slice it through point but it comes off the upper half of his bat.
Away swinging ball on off, it moves away and Gayle leaves it alone.
Shorter on middle and leg, Lewis taps it back to the keeper to see through Shami's first.
Back of a length ball on off, EL defends it off the back foot. Once again the ball does not rise as much as it should have.
Gayle is off the mark too! Good length ball on off and middle, CG guides it down to third man for a single.
Fuller on middle, Gayle pushes it to mid on.
In the air but safe! West Indies are off the mark but it is not in the most convincing manner. Back of a length ball on off, Lewis looks to play it on the off side but the ball takes the outside edge and flies towards third man. Single taken.
Shami's first does not carry to the keeper. It is on a length outside off, Lewis looks to punch it through the off side but the ball keeps low and goes to the keeper.
Mohammed Shami to bowl from the other end with the second new ball.
Uppish but safe. Fuller ball on off, Gayle pushes it uppishly towards cover but it is well short of the man there.