Heavy Rain Interrupts India A vs Afghanistan A Match; Dambulla Weather Update

Rain arrives in Dambulla - (Source: ScreenGrab/X.com)

The 2nd match of the tri-nation A series between India and Afghanistan has been interrupted because of rain in Dambulla. As accurately predicted by the weather department, heavy downpour has brought a halt to the much-awaited game at the Dambulla Stadium.

Notably, India A, batting first, were batting on 174/3 after 25 overs, which is when the rain stopped play. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma were on the crease and rushed to safety in the dug-out. It was not the first time in the match that the rain caused a hindrance, but for the first time that rain got heavy and umpires stopped play.

Dambulla Weather Update

Things are not looking good in Dambulla, because according to Accuweather, rain is set to last for a long. Around 3-3.5 hours of rain is predicted at the venue, which can also happen in various interruptions and also at a go.

There is also 22% chances of a thunderstorm, making the match to start on time difficult. At present, there is a heavy downpour, and the play will not resume anytime soon. 

Three hours of rain means that overs will be lost, but the game still remains at a very high risk of getting abandoned. Now, it all boils down to the drainage system in Dambulla.

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Dambulla Stadium's Drainage System

Sri Lanka is used to regular rain interruptions. Further, they have a tradition of covering the entire ground. However, in Dambulla, only the pitch is covered, making it more difficult to start the game on time once the rain stops.

Talking about the drainage system, it is poor. Usually, Dambulla is a dry place in Sri Lanka, which is why there is no good drainage sysyem in place.

Since the stadium operates in a dry climate, the stadium does not utilize the specialized subsurface aeration or vacuum systems (such as the SubAir Drainage System commonly used in other international venues) to manage rain. Instead, it relies on these core components for field management.

Hence, the groundstaff more relies on manual and natural way of soaking water quickly, but the standards are no where on the level as other stadiums in Sri Lanka.

India A Off To Brilliant Start In Tri-Nation Series

Talking about India, they are playing their second match at this venue. Previously, they locked horns against the hosts and handed them a 8-run defeat. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad led from front and scored a century.

Further, Tilak Varma too slammed a fifty and helped India put a good total on the board. Even in the ongoing match, the Men in Blue are 125/3 and rode on Prabhsimran Singh's knock, who nearly missed out on a century. Also, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided a great start and scored a quickfire 44 off 22 balls.

Update: The rain has stopped and the play has resumed, but the threat has not died down. It can still rain later in the day.

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