cricket

Updated: Sep 15, 2019 08:19 IST

India’s home season is up for a damp beginning as rain and thunderstorms are set to greet to Virat Kohli’s men when they take on South Africa in the first match of the three-match T20I series at Dharamsala on Sunday. On a high after beating West Indies in all three formats, Team India is on a mission to build a team keeping the T20 World Cup – next year in Australia – in mind but the weather could a spoilsport, at least for starters.

There is a 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms in Dharamsala in the afternoon on Sunday and this after India’s practice session on Saturday was washed out because of rain, forcing Kohli and Co. to train indoors.

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It has been raining on and off at Dharamsala, meaning the ground staff haven’t got enough time to prepare the ground properly but the only rejoicing factor is that the rain has not been continuing for long. Largely it has been passing showers. On Sunday too, it is expected to be a passing shower and that too in the afternoon. There are no chances of rain in the evening. The match is slated to begin from 7 PM IST.

“For us as a home team, we have to absolutely sure of our game plan. The way we prepare for overseas series, where we have to be very focused, it’s the same. International cricket is nowadays about the mindset. As coach Ravi Shastri said in the past - ‘every condition can be home condition if you feel comfortable’. I think it’s getting into the frame of mindset for us, and hence we have been one of the most consistent teams in the last two-three years,”India captain Virat Kohli said on Saturday

“We want to win every game, whether it’s home or away, any format - we just want to go out there, play our best cricket and win,” Kohli added.