Virat Kohli says stop-start matches are 'worst' in cricket

The first ODI between West Indies and India at the Providence stadium in Guyana on Thursday was marred by rain. The start of the game was delayed by two hours as rain and a wet outfield forced the game to be reduced to 43 overs. India chose to bowl but the players had to leave the field after 5.4 overs after yet another rain interruption. Despite it being for only five minutes, the outfield was wet and the absence of a super-sopper resulted in more time being taken as the groundstaff had to manually clean the outfield.

After an hour's delay, the match was reduced to 34 overs but a second rain break forced the match to be abandoned altogether. Speaking after the end of the match, Indian skipper Virat Kohli expressed his frustration, stating that a stop-start match does not help the players.

"It's probably the worst thing in cricket, the start-stop game. The more stops you have, the more you have to be careful about injuries on the field. Some of the pitches can really test you," Kohli said.

Even West Indies skipper Jason Holder expressed disappointment with the weather. "Obviously a disappointing day with the weather. Our openers assessed it really well, some balls were stopping and coming on a tacky pitch. They needed to spend some time in the middle. Hopefully the weather stays good and we get to play some cricket," Holder said.

The second match of the three-match ODI series will take place in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on August 11.

RELATED

HIGHLIGHTS

• India vs West Indies ODI in Guyana was abandoned due to rain.
• There were two rain breaks during the game.
• The outfield was also damaged due to rain.