The rain, alas, turned out to be the villain of the piece, spoiling the party that was to be played out at the Sports Hub, Kariyavattom, on Tuesday.
True, it was on predicted lines as after the heavy thunderstorm which hit the city and its suburbs on Monday, weather was perceived to hold the key for a prompt start.
Subdued mood
Consequently, the mood at the 50,000-seater stadium was subdued as the crowd stayed away from filling up the seats as anticipated as the gates were thrown open at 4 p.m.
The final tie of the three-match Paytm India-New Zealand series, though having taken the shape of a decider what with the sides arriving here locked at 1-1, was thus a repeat of the first One-Day International played here at the University stadium on October 1, 1984.
India was drawn against Australia in that tie and though the host team did complete its innings , the match had to be abandoned as rain came out in all its fury during the second session.
Nearing 5.30 p.m., hopes were somewhat revived as the rains moved away and the super soppers and the ground staff moved in for repair work.
But when the covers were being removed, the heavens opened up again to put a spoke on what could have been an exciting decider.
Though the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) had announced that the tickets for the match were sold out as early as November 1, a large number of enthusiasts was seen milling around the stadium right from early morning to somehow get a ticket.