THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nothing went as planned during the first T-20 match that got delayed by rains in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
From around 2 pm, the peripheries of stadium compound had started to swell with crowd. The youngsters dressed in blue jerseys mostly came by private vehicles.
Though parking was banned along Pangappara- Kazhakoottam road, two wheeler riders stacked up vehicles here as individual civil policemen found it difficult to dissuade them from doing so.
Every inch of main parking venues at Kerala University campus and its sidewalks were occupied for parking.
By around 3.30 pm, the occupants were allowed inside stadium. Since several checking counters were opened by police for spectators of each sector, the entry and seating went hassle free without wait.
While most early entrants sat under canopy covered seats in the rear, several others braved rain to gain seats with better view. By around 4.30 pm, around 30 per cent of the stadium was filled up. At around same time Indian team left from Kovalam Leela for the stadium.
At around 5.30 pm the team arrived at The Sports Hub, making the crowd jubilant. Around five minutes later Indian skipper Virat Kohli showed up near ground with a cup of coffee to verify the situation.
Around 50 volunteers and two Super soopers which resembled miniature road rollers with foam wheels continuously worked to extract and pump out water.
Though the intensity of rain altered it persisted. Crowd kept on entertaining themselves dancing to the music and flashing mobile phone flashlight until 7 pm.
Despair crept in as the game did not start by 7 pm. Some Indian team members warmed up playing football.
Spectators began to despair as internet swelled with memes on how the curse of those who did not get tickets transcended into rains. Few started leaving the venue by 7.50 pm as rain did not seem to end. However the crowd bounced back to form as pitch covers were removed starting 8.15pm. The first ever international match to be played in Thiruvananthapuram in 1984 had to be cancelled due to rains.
