Ceaseless rain yesterday has forced the postponement of the start of the second Test between England and India until 3pm. The waterlogged Trent Bridge pitch failed several inspections today, and there was serious doubt that any play will take place before tomorrow, but the umpires and captains have finally agreed conditions are sufficiently dry.

Trent Bridge has been criticised for its drainage facilities. The one-day international between England and West Indies became possible on July 7 only because of a sunny day after two million litres of rain-water had been removed from the outfield. Yesterday the situation was worse, with the England and India teams having to move their practice indoors to the National Performance Centre in Loughborough.

When the rain finally relented for a while in the late afternoon yesterday the ground resembled a paddy-field and no fewer than four of the water-absorbing machines that have made the chances of playing after rain so much greater in normal seasons fought a losing battle with puddles that would not go away.

All day long they rolled across the surface water before spewing thousands more litres into drains beside stands that will be filled today with the first of four crowds of 15,500 who have bought advance tickets. The relocated water presumably travels back to the Trent, just across the road, but the river is high and the water table beneath one of the finest outfields in England is close enough to the surface to threaten another day of frustration for everyone. The pitch, covered all day, can only be helpful to seam and swing bowlers if play is possible.

The long-term conclusion for the ECB must be to insist that grounds that have staging agreements for international matches, and want them to be renewed, must follow the lead given by MCC and Lancashire by investing in a sandy base to fields.

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said that such a decision would have to be made by each ground authority but added: “There were representatives from several grounds at Lord’s last weekend and the drainage there has been such a huge success that I’m sure other grounds will consider it.” Collier was on his way to Nottingham from the rained-off Bunbury under15 festival in Hull.

It is seldom mentioned that MCC’s drainage project at Lord’s in the winter of 2002-03 was blessed by good fortune with the weather. It was dry in the autumn when the old outfield was dug up but wet in the spring when the new turf was laid. The £1.25 million investment has been repaid several times since in avoiding the kind of refunding of tickets that appears probable for the ECB on at least some of the days of this match. More heavy rain is predicted for Sunday.

Sourav Ganguly has been passed fit to play, despite feeling soreness in his lower back towards the end of the Lord’s Test.

Rahul Dravid, the captain, again expressed relief that the series is level with two matches to play. “We started slowly in the last series in England, but hit form with more than 400 in the second innings at Trent Bridge and did not look back,” he said. “Conditions when players are coming on and off is difficult for batsmen but we have to get used to it in England.”

They also have to get used to cramped hotel rooms, it seems. Staying at the plush Crowne Plaza hotel in Nottingham city centre, the India players complained that they were originally obliged to share rooms. They have now been given individual rooms. A few English veterans of tours to the sub-continent will smile at that.

Michael Vaughan was obliged to defend England’s slow overrate at Lord’s after the narrow failure to win when the weather intervened with one wicket to take on Monday. “We bowled at 15.7 an hour on the last day, which isn’t bad in the modern Test game,” Vaughan said. “If we’d rushed through at three, four or five more, would we have got the right fields in place to get wickets? Maybe not. At the end of a great game, people are just trying to bring up a debate.” Asked about the aggression displayed by both teams at Lord’s, Vaughan and Dravid were also unrepentant. “I don’t think there was any more chat in that game than there was against West Indies,” Vaughan said. “We are trying to play our cricket with intent and that involves being a little bit aggressive.”

Dravid concurred. “Tempers can get a little bit frayed, but the relationship between the two teams off the field is good,” he said.

Matters of fact

1

Players from the present England squad who played against India in the 2002 Test at Trent Bridge: Michael Vaughan

25

Runs Sachin Tendulkar needs to reach 11,000 in Tests, which will make him the third batsman to do so after Brian Lara and Allan Border

28.75

Kevin Pietersen’s batting average at Trent Bridge; in four innings he has only scored 115 runs

100

Vaughan’s win percentage as captain at Trent Bridge; England have won all three matches when he has been in charge

255

Highest partnership for India in England, by Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly at Trent Bridge in 1996