By IANS
Hyderabad : Cricket fans here cheered as rains abated in time to provide a perfect setting for the third one-day international (ODI) between India and Australia Friday.
After early morning drizzle, the weather cleared to enable the play to start in time at the jam-packed Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal.
The unexpected rains had threatened to dampen the spirits of thousands of fans, who were already making their way to the stadium.
The modern drainage system built by Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA, modelled on the lines of such systems at Melbourne and other grounds, succeeded in drying up the outfield in time. The authorities heaved a sigh of relief and so also the 40,000 spectators.
The drizzle, which threatened the match earlier, did make the weather pleasant. And it was not surprising that the visitors chose to bat first after winning the toss in the conditions that best suited them.
The rains, however, disrupted the journey of fans to the stadium, leading to traffic snarls and chaos all around the venue. Many cricket enthusiasts were caught up and missed the action for about 30 minutes.
Several fans had to walk a two-km stretch to reach the stands but this did hamper their mood. Many were seen carrying national flags and shouting “Chak De India”.
“We are going to have a great time today and India will win,” said V. Rakesh, a Class 10 student who missed school to watch the match.
Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was electrifying as the crowd cheered at every good ball bowled and every good fielding attempt by the Indian team.
However, many people, including some VIPs, could not see their cricketing heroes in action due to a shortage of tickets and passes.
Even officials in the chief minister’s office had to spend huge amounts to buy tickets. The HCA came under sharp criticism for selling only 15,000 tickets to the public. It distributed 11,000 complimentary passes among VIPs, HCA office bearers, former and present Ranji players and others. The remaining tickets were given to sponsors.
The HCA was saved some blues when Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy intervened in the last minute to waive the user charges demanded by Cyberabad Police for providing security at the stadium.
The Cyberabad Police Thursday had sent a security bill of Rs.4 million to the HCA on the ground that it was a private body and was holding a commercial event.
Tight security arrangements were in place in the wake of the Aug 25 twin blasts at a park and an eatery that had killed 44 people. Earlier, nine people were killed in a blast at the historic Mecca Masjid on May 18.