For New Zealand umpire Tony Hill, it was the most the sizzling experience of his life. Standing in the middle for five days, in hot and humid conditions, during the first India-South Africa Test in Chennai was something he will not forget easily.
And adding to his misery is the fact that the conditions for the second Test in Ahmedabad will be even worse, what with temperatures expected to touch 40 degress Celsius and above.
However, 56-year-old says one thing that has helped him brave the heat so far in India is his preparation.
"I always prepare for the conditions. When I came to India I made sure that I was out walking. I was trying to do as much walking as I can in the days leading up to the Test match. I was walking during the day when it was really hot so I got used to it, and I was working hard during the day," Hill told rediff.com in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Hailing from Auckland, where temperatures barely touches 20 degrees and above, Hill says he had a fair idea of the conditions after his trip to Chennai last year for the Afro-Asia Cup.
"I have been to India before, for the Afro-Asia Cup last year. It was in Chennai and then too it was pretty hot and humid. So this time I was expecting this kind of weather," he said.
"It is very, very different from New Zealand, where I come from. I come from Auckland, South of New Zealand and there we probably get about 24 degrees maximum. In Chennai it was not that bad; it was in the 30s. They were probably a bit high in the middle though. But the difference between New Zealand and here is the humidity. You get a little bit of humidity in New Zealand, but not such hot weather," Hill added.
He also did reveal a secret tactic he used during the Chennai Test.
"I don't know if it was noticed, but I had a little bottle of water stuck in my back pocket, which I filled up at each drinks break to keep the fluids inside me."
While Hill's regular fluid intake helped him a great deal, his partner umpire, Pakistan's Asad Rauf, rested on the ground at every drinks break.
"The only reason I didn't go and lie on the ground is because I was not sure if I would get up at all," Hill said.
But despite Ahmedabad getting hotter, Hill is unfazed. "It is dry heat, but it doesn't stop sweating. It is very warm and I am told the temperatures could touch up till 40 degrees Celsius, but I am prepared at the same time."
Photograph: Harish Kotian
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