India's hold on the No.1 Test ranking was always going to be dependent on what mood the rain Gods were in, and a sign of that mood was seen on the opening day of the fourth Test match against the West Indies. After a delayed start and 22 overs, the majority of the day's play at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain was wiped out by rain and a wet outfield.
The visitors, who had jumped to the top of the rankings as a result of Australia's capitulation to Sri Lanka, need a win in this fourth Test match, the last of the series, which they have already won, to retain that top place, but a victory looks uncertain owing to the wet weather that has hit Trinidad.
After being asked to bowl first by West Indies captain Jason Holder, the India fast bowlers could not quite rip through the home team's batting lineup, even if they did pick up a couple of wickets. When rain stopped play and brought in Lunch as a result, West Indies were 62/2 in 22 overs, and, unfortunately for all concerned, so it remained at stumps as rain refused to let up.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite (32, 78b, 5x4) is still at the crease for the West Indies, looking pretty solid and making the most of a life given to him by Virat Kohli, who failed to latch onto a catch in the slips early in the morning. Marlon Samuels is there at the other end and West Indies will hope the two batsmen stay on for as long as possible and increase the frustration levels of the Indians, which will already be quite high owing to the inclement weather.
The two wickets that fell were of Leon Johnson and Darren Bravo. Johnson (9, 30b, 1x4) was dismissed by Ishant Sharma, off his very first delivery, with the left-hander failing to keep a short ball into the body down as Rohit Sharma did the rest at short leg.
India, who made the puzzling decision of bringing in an extra batsman in Cheteshwar Pujara for Ravindra Jadeja, with Murali Vijay also coming back in for Shikhar Dhawan, then had R Ashwin to thank for dismissing Bravo (10, 10b, 2x4), who fell pretty to a peach of a delivery from the offspinner, that pitched on middle and hit the offstump.
There was to be absolutely no play on Day 2 of the fourth Test as a wet outfield and a pesky drizzle meant, the players could not even come out to play a single ball.
With play on the third and four day called off without a single ball being bowled, due to that wet outfield, this final match is headed for a draw, with India, as a result, set to lose their No.1 Test ranking to Pakistan as well.
