Impassioned crowd turns up for India’s nets, with Sunday’s T20I set to be the first international match at the Barabati Stadium since 2019
Hemant Brar12-Jun-2022It’s a short ball on middle and leg stump. As Shreyas Iyer moves across and pulls it towards the square-leg boundary, the crowd at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack goes berserk. People are cheering, whistling, shrieking, and making all sorts of appreciative sounds human vocal cords are capable of.For a moment, it feels as if we are in the middle of the second T20I between India and South Africa. But it is only the eve of the match, and Iyer is having a practice session at the side strip.Related
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To say people in Cuttack are passionate about cricket is an understatement. The last time India and South Africa played a T20I here, in 2015, play had to be stopped twice as a section of the crowd started hurling plastic bottles onto the ground. The reason behind their anger being India getting all out for a mere 92 after being put in. The fans first threw water bottles onto the field during the innings break and then twice during South Africa’s chase.On Saturday, though, an entirely different but equally impassioned side of the Cuttack crowd was on display.The Odisha Cricket Association had opened one stand so that fans could watch the players train. During the day, the temperature hovered around 33° Celsius but such was the humidity it felt closer to 40°. A weather forecast cautioned against strenuous activities, saying there was a danger of dehydration, heat cramps and heat stroke. Even when the sun logged out for the day, there wasn’t much relief; you could still feel your clothes sticking to your body with sweat.But fans still came out in large numbers to watch their favourite cricketers practise their trade. Almost filling the whole stand next to the sightscreen at the Mahanadi end, they applauded every time a shot was played and gasped whenever the ball beat the bat.Diagonally opposite to that stand, just below the media box, was stationed the biggest cricket fan in India: Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary. Or if not the biggest, definitely the most recognised, with his body painted in blue, and an Indian flag in hand. After a couple of interviews with local news channels and more than a dozen selfies with fans, Chaudhary started waving the flag with his never-ending energy.Iyer was one of the first Indian batters to come out for the practice. He started on the side strip, which was almost indistinguishable from the lush outfield.
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Some cracking hits from the Captain and Vice-captain get the crowd going. #TeamIndia | #INDvSA | @RishabhPant17 | @hardikpandya7 | @Paytm pic.twitter.com/JoRKKzwvpJ
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 11, 2022