KANPUR: Cricket fans in Kanpur were left dissappointed on Monday after New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra &
Ajaz Patel showed extraordinary temperament and technique, in the final session of the last day, to steer their team to a famous draw at
Green Park stadium
. The duo shattered the hopes of around ten thousand cricket fans who had assembled at the stadium to witness India’s victory.
Only a few hundred fans reached the Green park on Monday morning, but the number started increasing when on the very first ball after lunch Umesh Yadav clinched the wicket of
Tom Latham.
With the fall of Latham’s wicket, the fans were rejuvenated and hoped that India would exploit the wicket and win the Test
match
. The fans knew that in order to cheer their team, their presence on the ground was essential. By the time of Tea break, except the VIP pavilion and public stand, all stands were packed with fans who were blowing horns and raising special “Kanpuriya slogans” to boost the morale of Indian players.
The support of Indian fans enhanced the performance of India as in the post-tea session, visitors lost three more wickets. Smelling the victory, fans started beating drums and dancing at C balcony gallery and there was a loud roar every time when Indian players made an appeal.
With the fall of the ninth wicket, the fans were sure that India would register a win now. But Ravindra and Patel stood like a rock and luck favored them twice when DRS was sought against them. The duo foiled all attempts of Indian spinners to separate them. After the ninth mandatory over, their bad light appeal was admitted by the umpires and they called the match. With this, the crowd was stunned and there was a pin drop silence for a few minutes. The disappointed fans thereafter came out silently from the stadium.
The petty street vendors reduced the rates of their articles after the match. The t-shirt which they sold during the match for Rs 200 was offered on Rs 100 only. Kundo and other vendors said they earned some money in the last two days otherwise their Kanpur venture was at a loss.
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