Crowd Vents Ire in Anticipation of Match Abandonment

Sreelata YellamrazuDec 27 2009

With India in the ascendancy, the early morning crowds at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi were anticipating an emphatic Indian win in the fifth ODI to further increase the margin of series victory. What they saw infuriated them immensely.

unruly crowd at kotla

The match was always in doubt. From the very start, it became apparent that the pitch would become a hot topic of discussion. But the crowds were either oblivious, or less aware of the intensity with which the Sri Lankans were abhorring the contest. What they did see was India on top and when the game was brought to a grinding halt in the twenty-fourth over, the growing restlessness found venting in the form of an unruly mess at the ground.

Crowds were unaware of the happenings behind the closed door. What they knew coming was the possibility of abandoning the match altogether after Kumar Sangakkara halted the match to speak with the umpires and the ICC match referee got into a furious discussion with the officials on the field.

While the private discussions, out of the public eye, were taking too long, the crowds were less certain of the verdict and their anger took the resort of destroying public property with seat covers coming off, bottles being thrown and a general disorder adding to the fiasco of a botched pitch.

Ind SL ODI 5: Stopped Amidst Pitch Flare Drama

Jayasuriya's Milestone Goes A-Miss

Andre Agassi, Tiger Woods: Ironic Icons; Tendulkar: Class Apart

Sangakkara: Jayasuriya Struggling to Find Place in Team

Ind SL ODI 5 Preview: Dhoni Promises India Will Not Let Up,Will Go for the Kill

Ind SL ODI 4: India's Young Guns Victory is a Positive Sign for the Future

Security Weary Lankans Apparently Broke Security Cordon Themselves

Ind SL ODI 4 Preview: Yuvraj's Absence Bolsters Sri Lankans

Ind SL ODI 3: India take 2-1 Lead As Sachin Leads the Pack, After Jadeja's Bowling