15:12hrs: THE exact moment that the Guyana leg of India’s West Indian tour ended.

That was the time the first One Day International (ODI) between India and the West Indies was abandoned at the Guyana National  Stadium, Providence yesterday.

Those fans gathered at the Providence stadium were still hopeful after three lengthy rain breaks and intervals that they would have witnessed more than 13 overs of action but that was not to be.

The irony of the situation is at 15:19hrs the sun was back to its piercing best.

But the West Indies assistant coach Roddy Estwick unearthed some positives from the situation – Evin Lewis batting today and getting to 40; our fielding improved tremendously from the World Cup, so there are lots of positives that can be taken,

“We tend to look at all the negatives when we lose but we need to take a step backwards and see that we are improving and once we are improving then that’s the key thing.”

“That was very pleasing. Obviously Evin has struggled in the T20s and it was refreshing to see him get a score. We just congratulated him in the dressing room.”

After winning the toss, the Indians inserted the hosts West Indies to take first strike, though the first ball took some time as the first of the rain break pushed play back by close to an hour and a half.

When they finally took to the field, they were able to muster only 9/0 after just 5.4 overs before the second interruption of rain.

Lasting for more than an hour this time, the rains lashed Providence hard but the damage had been done to the northern run-up area which required more treatment than other areas.

Eventually, things got going again at around 13:10hrs and the West Indies resumed what would be the longest session of the day.

Evin Lewis immediately began the assault on India, taking a liking to Khaleel Ahmed by slamming him for two fours and six as Gayle reserved himself to turning over the strike.

Lewis had become the aggressor and he showed it by putting away the loose balls.

Gayle wanted to be in the action and tried to burst the clouds off a looped Kuldeep Yadav delivery but instead dragged the ball onto the leg stump, sending him back to the pavilion for 4 off 31 balls.

Playing just 299th ODI, the Jamaican was dismissed for  a low score and an even longer wait to become the West Indies highest ODI run-getter.

When Gayle departed with the score on 42, Shai Hope joined Lewis in the middle with the duo moving the score to 54-1 before the rain interrupted for the final time

Lewis was left unbeaten on 40 and Hope on 6.
The series now heads to Trinidad and Tobago for the second and third ODIs.