IND vs. SA 4th T20I called off: Air quality extremely poor in Lucknow; international match cancelled for first time due to fog, fans waited for over 3 hours
IND vs. SA 4th T20I: The fourth match of the five-match T20 series between India and South Africa was scheduled to be played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, but due to dense fog and poor visibility, the match had to be cancelled. After a long wait and several inspections, the umpires prioritized the safety of the players and decided to call off the match.
First international match cancelled due to fog
The weather in Lucknow has been extremely cold for the past few days. The effect of the fog, along with increasing pollution, was clearly visible on the field, causing visibility to continuously deteriorate. In international cricket, matches have been cancelled before due to rain, bad light, or technical reasons, but this is the first time a match has had to be cancelled due to dense fog.
Umpires inspected the ground six times
The fourth T20 match was scheduled to start at 7 PM IST, with the toss scheduled for 6:30 PM. However, due to dense fog, the umpires postponed the toss and conducted the first inspection at 6:50 PM. As conditions were not found to be normal, a second inspection was conducted at 7:30 PM.
After that, the ground conditions were assessed for the third time at 8 PM, but the fog had become even denser. The umpires, still hopeful, conducted a fourth and fifth inspection at 8:30 PM and 9 PM respectively. Finally, after the sixth inspection at 9:25 PM, when there was no improvement in visibility, the umpires made the final decision to cancel the match.
Air quality extremely poor in Lucknow
Along with the dense fog, the air quality in Lucknow is also in a very worrying state. The city's AQI was recorded above 400, which is considered extremely dangerous for health. The effects of the poor air were also clearly visible on the players.
On the field, several players, including Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, were seen practicing and warming up while wearing masks. Players from both teams faced difficulty breathing, which made the decision to cancel the match even more necessary.
Fans waited for more than 3 hours
Fans had arrived at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow from 6 PM onwards. They waited for about three and a half hours for the match to start, but the fog did not clear. As a result, the fans had to leave disappointed.
Final match on Dec 19
After the cancellation of the fourth T20, the fifth and final match of the series between India and South Africa will now be played on December 19th in Ahmedabad. Both teams will now be focused on this match, where the final outcome of the series will be decided.