Cuttack: Huge embarrassment for Odisha; a floodlight failure interrupted play in the second ODI between England and India at the Historic Barabati Stadium here.
The floodlight failure affected the goodwill of the State which in the past have flawlessly organized many international events including the recent Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Utkarsh Odisha, Make In Odisha Conclave, Naval Day, All India DGP/IGP Conference and others.
The light failure came when the hosts were 48 for none in a chase of 305 at the Barabati Stadium.
One of the eight floodlights near the clock tower failed, forcing players out of field.
The issue first surfaced around 6:15pm when some floodlights briefly went off but the power supply was restored as England pacer Saqib Mahmood was about to bowl to Rohit Sharma.
However, some times after that, the lights went out completely, leaving the players , organizers and also spectators frustrated.
Skipper Rohit Sharma, looking in sublime touch, was batting on 29 off 18 balls, having struck three sixes and a four, while Shubman Gill was on 17 off 19 balls with three boundaries.
Players waited for five minutes in the field before leaving the ground.
Hosting its first ODI in over four years, the Odisha Ccricket Association had enforced tight security but struggled to manage the overflowing crowd.
There was chaos at the gates with the City Police resorting to lathi charges to control unruly fans.
The disorder extended to the Press Box, where several unauthorized individuals entered, adding to the confusion.
There were reports flooding in Social Media about the failure of floodlights, which was also embarrassing.