Fifth India vs Australia ODI abandoned due to incessant rain

The fifth one-day International between India and Australia has been called off on Saturday morning after the umpires inspection due to incessant rain in Cuttack. On Friday, the Orissa Cricket Association had 'unofficially' cancelled the game as there was no let-up in the weather for the past five days.

"We don't have the right to call the match off officially. But we have already announced the dates for ticket refund which obviously means the match has been offically abandoned," OCA secretary Asirbad Behera told PTI on Saturday.

The last one-day in Ranchi was also abandoned after 4.1 overs of India's chase of 296 as Australia continued to hold on to their 2-1 lead in the bilateral series.

Umpires Nigel Llong from ECB and S Ravi of India along with Match Referee Roshan Mahanama took the decision to abandon the match on Saturday morning.

The OCA secretary also has spoken to the BCCI president N Srinivasan to shift the three-day practice match between the touring West Indies and Uttar Pradesh CA from October 31 which now is likely to be held in Mumbai.

"The team is scheduled to arrive on October 29 and looking at the ground condition, it's impossible to make it ready in time. I spoke to the president and put forward an official request to shift the practice match," Behera said on a disappointing note.

The OCA, which is hosting an International match after two years, is set to lose about Rs 3 crores, Behera said.

"We are hopeful to recover it through the insurance."

OCA paid a sum of RS 3 lakh to insure the ground and properties of the Barabati Stadium for a whopping sum of Rs 20 crore.

Giving a break-up of the insurance components, Behera said the stadium has been insured for Rs 5 crore for standard fire and peril policy while the spectators and visitors have been covered under public liability insurance policy for Rs 7 crore.

The special contingency insurance policy would cover the remaining Rs 8 crore, he added.

The Barabati Staidum last hosted an ODI on November 29, 2011 when India beat the West Indies by one wicket.

The venue has turned out to be jinxed for both the sides as the last match between India and Australia was too abandoned without a single bowl being bowled exactly about 17 years back on October 27, 1996.

Both teams now travel to Nagpur for the sixth and penultimate ODI at Jamtha on October 30.

The series will conclude in Bangalore on November 2.

(with PTI inputs)