Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 12 (ANI): Wearing a face mask and maintaining social distancing are mandatory during visits for the redemption of tickets but the fans were seen flouting COVID-19 safety norms while doing so in Chennai ahead of the second Test.
The second Test between India and England, which gets underway on Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, will see the return of fans in the stadium after a more than 11-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The second Test will have 50 per cent crowd in attendance, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) secretary had confirmed last week.
Speaking to ANI, TNCA secretary RS Ramasaamy said that the association has got the final approval from the BCCI to allow fans to come in for the second game of the Test series.
“We will have 50 per cent crowd for the second Test,” he had said.
The redemption of online tickets was done from 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. on Friday at booth number six and eight located at Victoria Hostel Road for ‘C, D, E and F’ Stands, at Wallajah Road near Gate No. 11 and 12 for ‘I, J, K and H’ Stands.
Meanwhile, on all match days, online tickets can be redeemed between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.
“I bought the ticket for the second day. I’m a big Indian fan. With Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane, India’s batting line-up is strong and it seemed to be a little weak in the first match but still, we have hopes for the three Tests,” Darshan one of the cricket fan who was outside the stadium for the tickets, told ANI.
England defeated India by 227 runs in the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
England’s winning start against India in their ICC World Test Championship series has kept alive the visiting side’s hopes of making the final of the nine-team competition.
The victory at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday lifted England to first place and 70.2 percentage points on the points table and they’ve improved their chances of securing one of the three series results in their favour that could see them through to the final – 3-1, 3-0 or 4-0.
India, who have slipped to the fourth position with 68.3 percentage points, cannot afford another loss in the four-match series and will be looking to win at least two of the remaining three matches to secure a 2-1 or 3-1 result and a place in the final.
The second Test will be played in Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium before the cricketers move to Ahmedabad for the third and fourth Test. (ANI)