No rain in Chennai? Fingers crossed

A certain Mr Suresh Babu, who hails from the Gummidipundi suburb in Chennai, could be among the happiest in the city as India and South Africa prepare to play...

A certain Mr Suresh Babu, who hails from the Gummidipundi suburb in Chennai, could be among the happiest in the city as India and South Africa prepare to play the first of the three-Test series beginning here on Wednesday.

Two years and a few months ago, Suresh Babu had filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking an interim stay against the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) hosting a Test between India and Sri Lanka in the first week of December, 2005. His contention was that it is between October and December that the northeast monsoons settle over peninsular India. He further pointed out that TNCA, which traditionally used to host cricket matches after Pongal (the harvest season) in January, wasn’t following the time-honoured rule, in fact they were defying nature.

He had accused the TNCA of duping the public of the vast sums of gate money.

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Such had been the nature of downpour in these months that in the last eight years, Chennai has managed to host merely two Test matches — India vs Australia (2001) and India vs West Indies (2002). Even the India-West Indies Test had its share of bad light and drizzle. Two Tests against Australia and Sri Lanka, two one-dayers against South Africa and New Zealand were among the matches washed out.

First in six years

It is difficult to say if the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Tours and Fixtures Committee intervened or any sort of sanity prevailed in TNCA, but this might well turn out to be the first time in six years that a match will take place at Chepauk without the threat of rain.

The heat and humidity is an issue but as most players will agree it’s better to be out in the sun than indoors in the rain.

While there has been a slight drizzle in Chennai over the last couple of days, the meteorological department has told the TNCA that weather is largely expected to be fine over the next week.

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Despite the stadium being just 500 metres away from the Chennai coastline, the glaring sun suggests there’s not much reason to worry this time.

“The weather will not be a problem this time,” is all TNCA secretary C Vijayaraghavan says, but it is evident what this means to the TNCA.

If nobody else, at least Suresh Babu and those craving a Chennai Test special will be rejoicing… with fingers crossed of course.