Rain threat to first Test

India and Australia are raring to have a go at each other in the first Test, starting in Bangalore on Wednesday, but the weather threatens to be a dampener with heavy rains lashing the city on Monday afternoon.

The weather forecast for the match is not encouraging and the meteorological department officials say "rain intensity can be pretty high".

"October is the second wettest month in Bangalore, and weather is not conducive for playing cricket. Normal rainfall for the month is 180 mm," the director of the department's Bangalore centre Anand L Koppar said.

"Frequent rain spells (during those five days) are likely; probability of rain spells is high. There could be a spell of sharp showers," he added.

According to Koppar, even if the current depression, now very close to the Andhra coast, crosses the region, it would still have influence over the next four to five days.

But the scenario is not without a silver-lining.

"In Bangalore, it (skies) normally opens up in the afternoon, anytime after 4 pm," Koppar added.

On Monday, it rained heavily in the afternoon, upsetting the Australian team's net practice schedule.