TNCA fears Test wash out

Probably for the first time, fearing another wash out due to inclement weather, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) on Tuesday announced that it would sell tickets only on daily basis for the first Test between India and Sri Lanka to be played in Chennai from December 2 to 6.

TNCA Joint Secretary S E Sankar Rao announced this and said that the sale of tickets for the first day of the Test would be made on December 9 at 0900 hrs IST. The sale for the second to fifth day of the match will be made on the previous days.

With incessant rains washing out the third ODI against South Africa here on November 22, the apprehension of the Test match also being affected by rains gripped the TNCA as well as the public, who expressed resentment at the Association's refusal to refund the fare.

The TNCA's refusal to offer a refund was also challenged in Madras high court, which ordered notice to it and the BCCI on Tuesday.

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The TNCA first announced that the sale of tickets for the first Test would be from November 27. But as the inclement weather continued and there was forecast of rains under the influence of a deep depression, the TNCA put off the sales to November 30.

But not wanting to be caught on the wrong foot again, the TNCA has opted for sale of tickets on daily basis, doing away with the sale of season tickets, for the first time for a Test match.

Before the day-night ODI against South Africa, the M A Chidambaram stadium had another ODI against New Zealand washed out in October 2003. In October last year, the fifth and the final day's play of the India-Australia Test match was washed out by incessant rains.