India tour match against SA 'A' team abandoned

India and the South African A team finally gave up their unequal struggle against the elements in East London on Monday by calling off their four-day game on the morning of the third day.

The match was officially abandoned some time before the 9.45am start as morning drizzle continued to fall on Buffalo Park. No play had been possible during the first two days of the game and the abandonment means that the tourists have not set foot on the field during either of their two first-class matches on tour.

To a large extent, the decision to forego the last two days of this fixture was taken in order to allow India to travel to Port Elizabeth two days ahead of schedule in an attempt to find suitable practice facilities ahead of the second Test which starts at St George's Park on Friday.

Dave Emslie, the chief executive of the Eastern Province Cricket Board, has assured the tourists that he will try to arrange a middle practice on Tuesday, while indoor nets are also available in Port Elizabeth should the poor weather follow India down the coast.

The Indians are due to set off on the three to four-hour drive at Port Elizabeth at 12.20pm.

In another development, but one which will be of little comfort to the underprepared Indians, Ali Bacher, head of the World Cup organising committee, has been quoted as saying that Buffalo Park has been included in a R2.3-million budget allocated to ensure that all 11 World Cup venues in South Africa will have adequate equipment to dry out grounds during the 2003 tournament.

Bacher said that "Super Soppers" would be available at each of the World Cup venues.

India's immediate problem, however, is to choose their second Test team with very little form to go on outside of the first Test. Harbhajan Singh is almost certain to return to the side, probably at the expense of Zaheer Khan, but India are unlikely to swop any of their batsmen, although they could well reshuffle their top order, moving Rahul Dravid down into the middle.