The IND vs SA 4th T20I in Lucknow was added to the list of international games that were halted or abandoned due to unsuitable weather conditions.
The ambitions of India to seal the series, which currently stands 2-1 in favor of the hosts, and of South Africa to level it and force a decider in the 5th T20I went up in the smog in Lucknow as the match was called off at around 9.25 PM.
Fans had raised questions about the BCCI’s scheduling in the previous two T20Is played in Mullanpur and Dharamsala, two of the northernmost international cricket venues in the country, in the winter month of December.
While those two matches went ahead as scheduled, the 4th T20I in Lucknow, part of Uttar Pradesh, another northern state, was forced to be abandoned almost three hours after the scheduled toss time.
The umpires began delaying the toss by periods of 30 minutes and performed ground inspections at least five times before calling the match off at the sixth inspection.
Fans and journalists posted pictures from the stadium on social media, showing the immense density of the fog (or smog) that made viewing from one end of the ground to its opposite end difficult.
What also befuddled everyone watching the situation unfold on the ground was the belief that the fog was only going to get worse as the night progressed. So, ironically, delaying the match, as the umpires seem to be waiting for the fog to clear up, was always going to be futile.
This is another example of the poor, unforeseen scheduling by the BCCI, who had scheduled a Test match in Delhi in October earlier this year and in December in 2015 and 2017. In the 2017 Delhi Test between India and Sri Lanka, the visiting players famously wore masks while playing, producing some damning pictures with the Indian board coming under heavy criticism.
On Wednesday, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen in a mask on the ground in Lucknow, prompting people to realize that the AQI level in the city is over 400.
The abandonment of the IND vs SA 4th T20I in Lucknow would hurt the broadcasters who pay handsome money for India’s matches. This put a huge damper on the spirit of the fans who had flocked to the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow in the hope of seeing the Indian stars in action.
Fans on Twitter lashed out at the BCCI for its abject scheduling, not just of the Lucknow T20I but of this entire series, where players had earlier flown from down south in Cuttack to up north in Chandigarh.
IND vs SA: Check out some Twitter reactions as fans bashed BCCI after the 4th T20I in Lucknow was called off
Meanwhile, it has been reported that India opener Shubman Gill has sustained a foot injury and was due to miss the 4th T20I in Lucknow. Sanju Samson would have most likely opened in place of Gill had the match occurred.
Gill, the vice-captain of the T20I side, has had a dismal series, with scores of 0 and 4 followed by a 28-ball 28.
IND vs SA: When and where is the India vs South Africa 5th T20I?
The fifth and the last T20I of the India vs South Africa series will take place on Friday, December 19, in Ahmedabad. India lead the series 2-1.
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