Lucknow: The fourth T20I between India and South Africa at Lucknow was finally called off on Wednesday evening after a frustrating three-hour wait.
The match was called off as dense fog enveloped the stadium, lowering visibility, despite the lights. Safety of players was of primary concern, match officials said. Even the toss, supposed to be held at 6.30 pm, could not be held.
The umpires took a final call at 9.30 pm after inspecting the ground. Such inspections were held every 30 minutes after 6.30 pm.
While many slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for even scheduling a match at Lucknow in mid-December – when fog is at its densest in north India – former cricketer Robin Uthappa saw no sense in the periodic inspections and the delay in calling off the match.
“…. I’m so befuddled by the umpire’s decision right now. How do they think it’s going to get better as the night wears on? It’s not going to get better, it’s only going to get worse. It’s counterintuitive. What are they actually thinking, and what do they think will happen in half an hour that hasn’t happened over the last hour and a half? It’s quite confusing that they’ve still decided to give it half an hour more,” Uthappa said on JioHotstar, as reported by Hindustan Times.
While the abandonment of the match in the five-match series will not affect India too much, the South African side will certainly be cursing its luck.
India is 2-1 up in the series. Had the Proteas managed to beat India at Lucknow, they would have drawn level, and got a chance to win the series by putting in a better performance at Ahmedabad, where the last match is to be held on Friday. Now, even if South Africa does win in Ahmedabad, they will just be able to draw the series.
India, on the other hand, has no chance of losing the series and will keep its record of losing no T20I series after the 2024 ICC T20I World Cup intact.
Suryakumar Yadav and his men will do their best to win the Ahmedabad match though, for a convincing series win.
