IND vs SA 2nd T20I, Cuttack Weather Forecast: Will rain affect Team India's chances to level series?
Team India will be raring to make a comeback in the second T20I which will be played at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. But will rain play spoilsport in India's plot for a comeback?
The T20I series at home did not get off to a start the Indian team desired for. Despite posting the highest total in New Delhi in T20I cricket, South Africa scripted their highest successful chase in reply and won the opener by seven wickets. Team India will hence be raring to make a comeback in the second T20I which will be played at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. But will rain play spoilsport in India's plot for a comeback? Follow India vs South Africa 2nd T20 Live
The Regional Meteorological Center (RMC) at Bhubaneswar on Saturday ruled out any major possibility of rain on the eve of the match, although he admitted that the sky will remain overcast throughout the game.
“The chance is 50:50. We cannot say for sure that there will be no rainfall in Cuttack on Sunday evening. There may be a small spell of rain but no possibility of any major rainfall,” RMC Bhubaneswar director H R Biswas told PTI.
"There may be thundershower induced rain in the evening and it will be known about three to four hours earlier. However, there will be no heavy rain which can affect the match," he added.
This is the first time Odisha is hosting an international cricket game in two years, but an Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) official assured that the venue is capable of facing such situation.
"With consultation from BCCI Technical committee we have made a sand-based ground for better drainage. The OCA has purchased a rain cover for the entire FOP (field of play) area from England. This apart, it has also purchased another super sopper from Australia. Preparations for the ground will be ready even if it rains throughout the day,” he said.
The Barabati Stadium has so far hosted just two T20I games - the hosts were bowled out for their fourth-lowest T20I total of 92 by South Africa back in 2015 and in the other, Sri Lanka were folded for their joint second-lowest total of 87 in response to India's 180/3 in 2017.
