Batting legend VVS Laxman has labelled the abandoned series opening first T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati as a ‘fiasco’ hoping it won’t be repeated in the future. The fixture was abandoned after toss due to damp spot on the pitch after it was delayed due to rain.
The groundstaff could bee seen trying to dry the pitch with vacuum cleaners and hairdryers, a sight that left everyone amused. However, they couldn’t ready the surface in time leading to abandonment.
“It was a real shame that the first international match of the year in India had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled,” Laxman wrote in his column for The Times of India on Tuesday. “Had the T20I against Sri Lanka in Guwahati been called off because of incessant rain, then at least there would have been some consolation because no one can defy the diktat of Mother Nature. But since this was a man-made disaster, the no-result was a bitter pill to swallow for the huge crowd that had turned up.”
Laxman was critical of the infrastructure in place at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium saying the state bodies must take lessons from what happened on Sunday. “In this day and age, where there is so much emphasis on quality infrastructure, and adequate financial assistance to ensure proper covers are in place, it is unthinkable that a match doesn’t take place because of damp spots on the pitch and I hope lessons from this fiasco are taken on board and learned by other bodies so that there is no repeat going forward,” he wrote.
Even BCCI isn’t happy with the reason behind the match being called off and is awaiting for the report of chief curator Ashish Bhowmick.
The second match will be played in Indore on Wednesday.