Sightscreen, scoreboard stump fans
Hyderabad, Nov. 12: The action was where the action was but spectators looked elsewhere. The sightscreen at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium provided drama on Friday as adjustments prevailed all along.
Bowlers were stopped several times during the run-ups as the title sponsors’ advertising boards kept the batsmen distracted. Several attempts were made by the ground staff to cover those boards with white sheets but in vain.
To make matters worse, there seemed to be a communication gap between the two on-field umpires — one Sri Lankan, another Australian — and the ground staff. The latter could not probably understand what the message was. After a few moments, the umpires walked up to the spot and got the boards done away with altogether, through sign language this time.
By that time, the batsman had given up hope and went for a shot despite a couple of ground staff running perpendicular to the bowler in his run-up, like the field was their playground.
That was not all. Even the promised giant scoreboards — one manual and the other digital — failed to take off, leaving the spectators baffled.
However, a smaller board was functional towards the north-western stand but it gave only the team total, wickets fallen and overs bowled.
Given the unfriendly and embarrassing circumstances, it was a wonder that Kiwi opener Tim McIntosh promptly raised his bat in celebration on reaching his century. Against the backdrop of the two ducks he got in the previous Test, he sure must have been counting his score in the middle.
The applause broke in only after seeing Tim celebrate.
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