Floodlight failure halts India-England 2nd ODI in Cuttack
Cuttack, Feb 9 (PTI): In a major embarrassment for the BCCI, a floodlight failure interrupted play in the second ODI between England and India when the hosts were 48 for none in a chase of 305 at the Barabati Stadium, here on Sunday.
India were cruising when 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, moments later, the lights went out completely, leaving the players 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 before leaving the field, while the packed 45,000-strong crowd turned the moment into a spectacle, grooving to blaring music.
The public address system even encouraged fans to turn on their phone flashlights, creating an electrifying atmosphere -- minus the cricket.
Hosting its first ODI in over four years, the OCA had enforced tight security but struggled to manage the overflowing crowd. Chaos was witnessed at the gates with the police resorting to lathi charges to control unruly fans.
The disorder extended to the press box, where several unauthorised individuals entered, adding to the confusion.
More than 25000 fans had gathered during India's practice session on the eve of the match as the OCA allowed free access.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
