Around 23,000 fans made it through the gates and much to their delight, India had a great day in the field dominating the proceedings
Published Date – 25 January 2024, 11:56 PM
The excitement of fans was palpable as the packed stands erupted in loud cheers during the Test match. — Photos: Anand Dharmana
Hyderabad: With Test cricket returning to the city of Hyderabad after a gap of five years, the fans in the city had a gala time with the action-packed first day of the first Test between India and England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, on Thursday.
The last time India played a Test at this venue was way back in 2018. Around 23,000 fans made it through the gates and much to their delight, India had a great day in the field dominating the proceedings.
The first day was also special for school kids as 5,000 from various schools were allowed freely to watch the match. The West Stands in the stadium sported a colourful look with students from various schools in their colourful uniforms. The kids cheered every time India took a wicket or an Indian batter hit a boundary.
The Hyderabad Cricket Association had earlier announced that 5,000 students will be given free entry each day. They were also given free food and water.
With India fielding first, the morning session saw around 21,100 people while the number rose to 23,734 by the time of tea. Army Public School, Takshashila, St Peters and Bhashyam were some of the schools that sent their wards to witness the match.
A few students were also seen displaying placards of their favourite cricketers. Though Indian cricket star Virat Kohli was not part of the Test, many fans were seen wearing the Kohli jersey. The first loudest cheer in the morning was reserved for Hyderabad cricketer Mohammed Siraj who entered the field amidst much fanfare. Incidentally, Siraj was playing his first Test at his home ground.
Fan invades pitch
However, in a major embarrassment, a fan breached the security and invaded the pitch before the Indian innings began. The fan jumped over the fence from South-East stands and ran onto the pitch and touched the feet of Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma. Shell-shocked, the personnel acted swiftly, running on to the pitch to drag the spectator off the field.
