PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Torrential rain wrecked the opening One-Day International between West Indies and India here yesterday, allowing just over three hours play at Queen’s Park Oval.
Opting to bat first, the visitors had cruised to 199 for three in the 40th over behind half-centuries from openers Shikhar Dhawan (87) and Ajinkya Rahane (62) when rain arrived for the second time around 12:30 pm, to bring a premature end to the contest.
The adverse weather had halted play 45 minutes earlier with India 189 for three after 38 overs.
When the showers abated late in the afternoon, the game was set to be a 26-over contest with West Indies chasing 194 for victory under Duckworth/Lewis but the rain soon returned, forcing officials to abandon the match.
Dhawan had earlier extended his prolific International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy form as he put on an enterprising 132-run partnership for the first wicket with Rahane.
The left-handed Dhawan faced 92 balls and struck eight fours and two sixes while Rahane, a right-hander, counted eight fours in his 78-ball knock.
Without really taking the bowling by the scruff of the neck, both batsmen played fluently, gathering boundaries off the new-ball pair of captain Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph.
Dhawan stepped up the pace in the 15th over with two leg-side boundaries off off-spinner Ashley Nurse before caressing seamer Miguel Cummins fine for another four.
Rahane was the first to his half-century, his 17th in ODIs, with a streaky four to third man off Cummins in the 21st over and Dhawan followed two overs later when he deposited Joseph over the ropes at square leg for the first of his two sixes.
Just when West Indies seemed to be out of answers, Rahane miscued a drive at a slower ball from Joseph and was caught by Holder at mid-on in the 25th over.
Dhawan added a further 36 with captain Virat Kohli (32 not out) and seemed to be marching towards an 11th ODI hundred when he perished tamely in the 32nd over, lbw to leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo playing across the line.
Left-hander Yuvraj Singh lasted all of 10 deliveries for his four before picking out Evin Lewis at mid-wicket off Holder, leaving India on 185 for three and West Indies with a foothold in the game.
But only 17 more deliveries were possible before rain intervened to force a no-result.
The second game of the five-match series will be played here tomorrow.