M Chinnaswamy Stadium's SubAir Facility: Everything you need to know

The most-awaited Test series between India and New Zealand is about to start on October 16, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. While the entire country is waiting for the match to happen, the Bengaluru weather seems to have some other plans. After some consistent heatwaves, it's finally raining in Garden City, which might be a hurdle for both teams.

However, fans might get relief after learning about the excellent drainage facility (SubAir system) at the venue, which is owned and operated by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). The SubAir system, whose operations are entirely digital, has allowed the KSCA to maintain the ground. Various techniques are employed to optimize resource consumption in response to fluctuating weather conditions.

Speaking of requirements, the SubAir system requires sand as the primary ground basis for its function. Consequently, sand was used in place of the traditional red soil on famous ground to enable the drainage system to function.

The installation of the SubAir system at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

The India vs South Africa Test match in 2015 was the reason why the SubAir system was installed at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. While the Test match was expected to last for five days, due to rain, it got abandoned just after one day. After that, the association installed a best-in-class drainage facility at the historic venue. 

After the installment, games started quite quickly despite heavy rains, and hence, the association received massive praise for its vision not to let rain affect a team's position in the competition. This is an important series for both teams since it comes under the World Test Championship (WTC) 2024. If India wins the series, 3-0, they'll straight away qualify for the WTC Finals. After this series, they just have to draw a game against Australia. 

However, if any match gets abandoned due to rain, then India will have to mandatorily win games in the BGT 2024, which will be challenging. Hence, the fans hope the Test series will happen without any match being canceled.