Cricket: Excessive fog in Lucknow ends South Africa’s hopes of a series comeback against India

by Devesh Jaganath

image Cricket: Excessive fog in Lucknow ends South Africa’s hopes of a series comeback against India
The crucial fourth T20I between India and South Africa was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to excessive fog at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday. India has a 2-1 lead, meaning they cannot lose the series, but South Africa can still draw level in Ahmedabad on Friday.

T20I abandonment raises questions about match scheduling in Northern India

South Africa’s hopes of rallying from 2-1 down in their five-match T20I series against India were crushed on Wednesday afternoon when match four was called off due to poor visibility at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. 

The toss was originally scheduled for 13:00 GMT but was delayed due to the conditions, and after six pitch inspections at half-hour intervals, the umpires decided to call off the match at 16:00 without a ball being bowled. 

The Men in Blue won the first T20I in Cuttack by 101 runs before the Proteas bit back to level the series with a 51-run victory in New Chandigarh. India regained the lead with a seven-wicket triumph in Dharamsala, meaning they cannot lose the series in the final match this weekend. 

Following the match abandonment, questions have been raised about the scheduling of matches in the northern regions of India, especially after a handful of players, including Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, were seen wearing masks at the stadium. 

Air quality levels stemming from pollution have spiked massively in northern India in recent years. The AQI on Wednesday hovered at around the mid-400s, which is hazardous and causes acrid smog blankets regularly across the region. 

The final match of what has been a truly captivating series will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. South Africa have to win that fixture in order to level the series. 

Has fog ever caused an international match to be called off? 

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While cricket fans from across the globe are used to matches being interrupted due to weather, it is usually rain and subsequent bad light that plays spoilsport. Indeed, the outcome in Lucknow on Thursday was a rare occurrence. 

So, has there ever been a match called off due to fog in the past? Yes - but only once! The only recorded instance of such an outcome came in 1998 in Faisalabad, where, shockingly, not a single day’s play was possible in a Test match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe. 

Unsurprisingly, that match also came in December, and earlier in the same series, the second Test was also affected by fog in Lahore and ended in a stalemate after several stoppages through days one to four, and no play was permitted on day five. 

This is the first time that a limited-overs match (ODI or T20I) has been called off without a ball being bowled due to fog. However, it is worth mentioning that delays due to fog are not uncommon in Indian domestic cricket.