CHENNAI: Before the Indian team boarded their flight to Chennai, there were a few concerned faces. Some of the players, who have a close connect with the city, were worried about the situation in the city in the aftermath of Cyclone Vardah, which had created plenty of havoc on Monday. Locals R Ashwin and Murali Vijay apparently kept the team posted about the situation. Once BCCI’s official confirmation that their fifth Test against England — starting on Friday — was well and truly on as per schedule came, the team were raring to arrive at the venue. Despite knowing that practice sessions were highly unlikely.
They did so on Tuesday evening, and many players even appeared surprised that the city was coming back to life, like it did after the flood last year. “In fact, some of us were very surprised, because after watching the news we expected the situation to be worse. But throughout our journey from the airport to the team hotel, everything seemed normal. Since we’re stuck indoors, we’re killing time on our PlayStations,” sources close the team told Express after landing in the city.
However, the team will have certain compromises to make. Practice facilities at the MA Chidambaram Stadium have been severely damaged, thereby ruling out any possible net sessions for both teams ahead of the Test. “There’s not much to worry about. Most of the players have had a good bit of game-time,” said the source. “Maybe if things are better on Thursday, we might have an optional session. But, it again depends on getting the necessary clearances.”
With communication also being affected heavily, state-unit officials have had a tough time in reaching out to concerned parties. To make things more complicated, electricity has still not been restored, meaning that groundstaff have relied on generators.
“The practice wickets are in bad shape. It won’t be wise for anybody to use them just a couple of days before the Test. But, the pitch and the outfield are in perfect shape, and even the sightscreen has been put in place. None of the seats in the gallery have been damaged. Now it is all about clearing the tree trunks on the way to the stadium and in the periphery of ground. Most of the damage is outside the ground. Come Friday, everything will be in place,” Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) secretary Kasi Viswanathan said.
With practice ruled out, both teams — who are putting up at the Crowne Plaza hotel — have been told to stay indoors for security reasons. Since city police is busy conducting rescue operations, the hotel has employed its own security measures in consultation with BCCI’s security officials. As of Tuesday night, only five police personnel had been deployed at the hotel. “The teams have their own security protocols. Players have been briefed about the situation in Chennai. They have been advised to stay indoors and not venture around because in case they decide to do so, police won’t be around to escort them. We don’t want to take any chances,” another official said.
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com