Ind-Aus: Cricket fans soak in T20 action at Uppal stadium

The fans started entering the stadium as early as 4 pm for the third T20 match at the Uppal stadium. The long queues from the gate stretched onto the main road.

Hyderabad: Cricket fans, who turned up to witness the first international cricket match in three years at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, turned the atmosphere electrifying, cheering every moment of their favourite cricketers.

The fans started entering the stadium as early as 4 pm for the third and series-deciding T20 match at the Uppal stadium. The long queues from the gate stretched onto the main road.

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The lucky ones who managed to get hold of the tickets were eager to get a glimpse of their favourite cricket stars. The cheers at the stadium began from the time Team India entered the field for a warm-up session. The stars like Virat Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma duly acknowledged the crowd prompting cheers from them.

The first loud cheer came at 6.30 at the toss when Rohit Sharma called it right and chose to bowl. Rohit, who had to shout literally to speak to match official Ravi Shastri at the toss, acknowledged the cheering crowd, saying, “Lot of noise, and good to be back here. It has been three-four years,” he said at the toss.

Every time a cricketer entered the ground from the dugout, the fans were cheering their names to grab their attention. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who plays for Hyderabad franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, also got a loud cheer during the warm-up session. Cutting across the age group, the galleries were filled with people from all walks of life. While the stadium inside was full, there were still long queues outside the venue.

Australian cricketer Tim David’s parents were also in the gallery. Tim’s father, Rod David, said that they were delighted to be in Hyderabad to witness their son in action. “We have been to the previous two matches as well. Yes, one match was good but the other not so good,” said Rod David.