
HYDERABAD: There had been regular spells of rainfall in the city over the last 10 days or so. However, the rain gods seemed merciful on the night of the India-Australia series decider T20I at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Friday. But, the demon of wet outfield came to haunt the encounter. As a result, not even the coin was tossed, let alone the commencement of play.
And surprisingly, the prize distribution ceremony was not held. When asked about the reason behind the cancellation of the ceremony — a norm at the end of any international series — sources in the know said, “It was not held keeping the security of the players in mind. Sometimes, the fans can get unruly if a match is not held. That is why the team members left the venue.”
Asked whether the fans would get back the money they spent on the tickets, sources said, “They will get around 70 per cent of the amount, considering that the tax on tickets is about 28 per cent.”
It turned out to be a frustrating day for the spectators, who had almost packed the stadium. A majority of the field seemed to be fit for play as players of both teams practised just before the scheduled start (7 p.m).
The outfield was seen twice — at 7 and 7:45 — and the match was finally called off at 8:15 pm. Asked the reason behind the wet outfield, sources said, “The field is made in such a way that the water does not accumulate at the centre, but trickles down to the outfield. We had covered the outfield too.” Looks like it will be a while until Hyderabad hosts its first T20I.
vishal@newindianexpress.com