India, Bangladesh players head back to hotel from Kanpur stadium despite Day 2 not abandoned

The Kanpur Test match between India and Bangladesh has been heavily affected by rain, with a video surfacing online showing the Indian team heading back to their hotel via bus. The persistent rain has led to the morning session of day two being washed out at Green Park. ESPNCricinfo has confirmed that even the Bangladesh players have also departed for their team hotel due to the continuous downpour.

The entirety of the first session has been lost to rain on day two of the Test, with it looking increasingly likely that this will be a severely curtailed match between the two teams. The opening day was also affected by rain and bad light due to cloud cover, leading to only 35 overs being bowled.

The weather forecast expects the rain to not let up over the afternoon, making even practise an impossibility on the covered ground. The video shared by ANI sees the Indian team choose to return to the hotel and rest up, with the weather forecasts expecting conditions to clear up for the second half of this Test match.

On the rain-impacted first day, Rohit Sharma chose to take advantage of the overcast conditions in Kanpur and put Bangladesh into bat. The 35 overs of play were fairly balanced for the two teams, as Bangladesh reached 107-3 with Mominul Haque still at the crease on 40*, partnered by Mushfiqur Rahim. Akash Deep was the star for India, taking two wickets in the first session, with Ravichandran Ashwin continuing his great form by dismissing Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.

With action looking unlikely on day two of the Test match, Gautam Gambhir’s team might have preferred to make use of the spare day for recovery, with the promise of an intense second half of the Test up ahead in Kanpur.