Hudhud shadow on India VS West Indies ODI
Cricket match between India and West Indies to be played in Vizag on October 14
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-10-11 07:01 GMT
Visakhapatnam: Cyclone Hudhud may play spoilsport for the One-Day-International cricket match between India and West Indies to be played in Vizag on October 14.
Given the pre-Cyclone Hudhud conditions in Vizag and warnings of the Indian Meteorological Department ahead of the cricket action, it may assume threatening proportions. The cyclone threat has also affected sale of tickets in Vizag due to people being sceptical that heavy rain as an effect of cyclone Hudhud might disrupt the match.
As cricket-loving Vizag gears up for international cricket action, Hudhud has cast a shadow over Tuesday's ODI in Vizag.
Under its influence, heavy rainfall would occur at most places including Vizag city from Saturday night. Both India and West Indies teams will be greeted by heavy rains on Sunday evening and the rains might spoil the teams' practice session on Monday.
Cricket fans hope that the skies will not be sending down gallons of water on Tuesday and the match will take place smoothly. Though Vizag stadium is equipped with super sappers and advanced drainage facilities, it may prove to be inadequate if it rains too heavily on the day of the match.
"There is no problem if the rain stops just five hours before the match, as our grounds men can clear the rain water from the stadium in just three hours with super sappers and advanced drainage system and easily conduct the match," says Director (Cricket Operations) of ACA, M.S.K. Prasad. "Last time also heavy rains were caused by Cyclone Helen.
But we successfully conducted the ODI between India and West Indies on November 24, 2013 after the rain stopped just a few hours before the match," he added. So far a T-20 match between India and New Zealand in the stadium on September 8, 2012 was called off without a ball being bowled following heavy rains.
Meanwhile, joint collector Praveen Kumar said 6,457 out of 12,000 tickets have been sold on Friday and 5,543 tickets are available. Sources said that lower denomination Rs 400 tickets were sold like hot cakes.