Goa ODI faces wash-out after heavy rain

A spell of heavy rain on Friday evening has put serious doubt on the third and final One-Day International between India and Australia, at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Margao, Goa, being played.

It was overcast the whole day and started to pour around 1700 IST. The rain undid all the hard work the groundstaff had put in over the last few days.

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Already, there were a few wet patches on the outfield, outside the 30-yard circle, and the latest wet spell will worsen the situation.

Rain had washed out the first match in Kochi last Sunday. Incidentally, the two stadiums share the same name and are mostly used for football, an international cricket match being staged once in three years.

Also noticeable is the lack of facilities needed for drying the outfield, otherwise available at Test centres or a proper cricket stadium.

The state meteorological department has forecast more rain in the costal state for the next couple of days.

The Australian team, trailing 0-1 in the series, had a three-hour session in the morning, with most of their players looking to get used to the conditions.

The Indian team had their nets session in the evening, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra and R Ashwin were not at the ground.

Desperate to level the series, the Aussies are desperate to get a game. Australia coach Tim Nielsen appeared worried.

"It looks like the rain that we had here has been quite heavy in the last couple of days. I am not sure whether it [the ground] has seen a lot of sun. I don't love the look of the clouds up there at the moment. I don't think it will be a hard, bouncy wicket, come Sunday," he said.

"I hope tomorrow the sun comes out and that they can roll it a bit more. I expect that while it will be a bit slow, it will be a good batting wicket."