Team India practice session called off amidst cyclone crisis

Team India had to cancel their practice session in Chennai due to the unfit conditions at the stadium in the city. The news came in soon after the England team had their practice session disrupted due to the cyclone hitting the Indian coast. The recent cyclone Vardah has affected the Indian coasts in a fatal way. Around USD 1 billion loss is incurred on Tamil Nadu.

While most of the state is trying to get back to normalcy, there are still dark clouds hovering in the sky. The final Test between India and England is scheduled to be played in Chennai. The match will start on December 16.

The organizers have claimed that there is no major loss to the stadium in the city. Moreover, the authorities have said that the ground will be fit for play. Also, the match will get underway as planned. However, there was no practice possible for either of the two sides on Wednesday. The Indian team management confirmed the news as they spoke to AFP.

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) Secretary, Mr. Kasi Viswanathan, informed PTI that the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the venue for the final Test, has been affected by the cyclone. He, however, added that the stadium will be ready for the match. “The sight screen has been badly damaged, the bulbs of the floodlights blown off, a number of air conditioners also got damaged. The assuring part is that the pitch and the outfield has not been affected by the cyclone,” he quoted.

Earlier, the England team had officially called off their practice session for Wednesday. The BBC Test match special informed this news on their official Twitter handle. They had tweeted, “England have cancelled practice tomorrow because ground is unfit after cyclone. Organisers say confident Test will go ahead #bbccricket.”

India have already won the series with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 5-match series. England will be playing for pride when they take on India in the final Test at Chennai.