Scorching heat and the steep price were no deterrent for ardent cricket fans in the city as they thronged ticket counters from dawn for next Sunday’s India-Australia clash. Within a few hours of sale, tickets for every stand, except the Pavilion Terrace and hospitality boxes, were sold out. The minimum ticket price was a steep ₹1,200 though the base price was only ₹750. The additional amount was thanks to the GST, which amounted to ₹210 (28 %) and an entertainment tax of ₹240 (25%).
But this did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of fans, with the queue from Victoria Hostel Road stretching up to the Pattabiraman Gate of the stadium on Wallajah Road. The counters opened at 11 a.m.
Vignesh, who had turned up at dawn, finally got hold of his ticket well past noon. “The last time, when South Africa was visiting, a ticket was priced at only ₹650. But I don’t want to miss a competitive match. I just hope the government looks into this and reduces prices in the future.”
Only the tickets for stands ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘E’ were available at the counters with the rest available online on bookmyshow.