Rain or shine, we will be there! This was the message from the die-hard Hyderabadis, as about 30,000 thronged the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Uppal on Thursday night.
And they showed tremendous discipline, brushing aside the frustration of not seeing even a single ball being bowled. It was pretty obvious that they waited in anticipation for a positive announcement from the public address system about the commencement of the match, especially when the covers were not on.
HCA Secretary T. Seshnarayan informed The Hindu that the tickets would be refunded for sure, but only after clarifying from the authorities concerned whether the refund should deduct the GST component or the full amount paid for each ticket could be refunded to the spectators.
“The HCA has insured the match for any rain disruption to the tune of ₹9 crore,” he said to a query.
“We sincerely thank each and every fan who turned up for the match for being so patient and dignified as they left the venue after the public announcement was made about the play being abandoned,” the HCA Secretary said. “They showed maturity and enhanced the image of Hyderabad with their conduct. There was not a single incident of frustration shown at the end of it all,” he said. Even as many parts of the city were lashed by heavy rain, the fans in the open stands were lucky that there was no rain, but only a drizzle for a couple of minutes. It was the slushy outfield that actually led to the abandonment of the play, the officials said.
“No doubt it was terribly disappointing. But, again, it was not in our hands. As soon as I entered, I had my own doubts about the match itself,” said S. Murali, a die-hard fan who rarely missed action at Uppal in the recent past. “We appeal to the BCCI to allot another international since the fans were robbed of cricketing action,” the HCA Secretary said, promising that for the next match, the HCA would purchase a facility which would ensure covering the entire ground at one go.