Rain or sunshine, the Indians hope to come out singing

DURBAN, South Africa, March 19 AP - Torrential rain in Durban could force organisers to postpone Thursday's World Cup semifinal between India and Kenya.

But Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly says his team will come out singing, be it rain or sunshine.

"We'll have to keep an eye on the weather and the formula to decide rain-hit matches," Ganguly said Wednesday as heavy showers dampened the prospect of the semifinal going ahead on schedule.

"One can't go into the match getting too worried about the weather, but we'll handle any situation that might develop," he said.

The weather factor, which hastened host South Africa's exit from the tournament in Durban, is again in play after the eastern coastal city of Durban was hit by heavy downpours starting Tuesday night.

Rain is expected to continue throughout Wednesday, and intermittent showers have been forecast for match day.

If the match is not completed by Friday - the reserve day - India's six-wicket victory over Kenya in a Super Six encounter two weeks ago will secure it passage into Sunday's final against defending champion Australia.

The KwaZulu-Natal region has been under a dry spell for the past two months, experiencing its least rainfall in 27 years.

And while the rain was welcomed by the residents of this city, the World Cup organisers were hoping for a break.

Kenya's coach Sandeep Patil, a member of India's champion 1983 team, hoped the semifinal is played on Thursday.

"We've no control over the weather, but we'd like to play on Thursday itself. We are prepared for the game," Patil said.