Heavy rain disrupted proceedings just before the lunch interval on day one of the fifth and final Test between India and England at The Oval. With dark clouds looming ominously over the ground, a downpour began moments before the scheduled break, forcing players to rush off the field and prompting an early lunch. The entire square was swiftly covered as forecasts of persistent rain proved accurate.

According to AccuWeather, there was a 70 percent chance of rain on Thursday in London, and those predictions materialised with unfortunate precision. The morning session concluded with India at 72 for 2 after losing both openers on a lively green pitch that offered plenty of assistance to the seamers.

The weather outlook for the rest of the day appeared bleak. Forecasters predicted continued rainfall throughout the afternoon, threatening to significantly interrupt play. Between 2 PM and 6 PM BST, persistent showers are expected to plague the contest. The chances of rain stand at 70 percent at 2 PM and increase to 80% by 4 PM. Although the probability drops to 40 percent by 5 PM, much of the day’s play could already be lost by then.