SL recall Ahmedabad ODI win, look up to the venue

While clearing skies suggested that this Test might yet escape the ignominy of becoming the eighth to be abandoned without a ball being bowled through rain or fog (other Tests have been abandoned for other reasons), Moody felt that the pitch would provide, whoever batted first, a good net.

The pitch was prepared for the South African game — already a victim of the Bay of Bengal monsoon season — and the locals thought why bother to prepare another. This one is good enough for this Test.

Just what it will look like after three days of being covered because of the rain is another matter. Moody’s guess is that it will be hard, dry and maybe offer the spinners some turn on the second day.

‘‘Certainly there would have been some interesting turn from about today (day three) as under normal circumstances the cracks would have widened,’’ he added. ‘‘All I know is that all the players (on both sides) want to start playing.

‘‘You can do so much in the nets and do so many hours of gym work,’’ he commented. ‘‘What we need now is to start playing. It is great pity though that rain has robbed us, and the spectators of a game. The outfield has been pretty soggy and we are hoping that the rain will stop and that we will get some play.’’ Moody was not too concerned that rain had in effect turned it into a two-Test series. It was a matter of starting the game and displaying some skills and technique.

The team management sidestepped a query about a State Presidential probe over the selection policy regarding 36-year-old left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya. It is uncertain at this stage whether the probe, ordered by recently-elected Mahinda Rajapakse, concerns the limited overs tour where Sri Lanka lost 1-6 or his non-selection for this tour.

It is now understood that Jayasuriya was not included in original selection of the side for the Test series because of his fitness and form. The Sri Lanka players spent two hours in the hotel gymnasium on Sunday morning and then split up to have lunch with friends around the waterlogged city. They also watched a film video Saturday night arranged by the hotel.