An unusual incident occurred in Dharamsala during Match 21 of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. Play during the India vs New Zealand fixture came to a halt due to a thick haze that surrounded the stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas with the match happening at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium. The umpires had to briefly suspend the game as visibility became a problem, but it resumed as conditions cleared, with the temperature dropping to 15 degrees Celsius.
At the time of the interruption, India had scored 84 for 2 in 14.2 overs. However, the misty conditions returned, and play was once again stopped as the fog became even denser in the 16th over, with India’s score at 100 for 2. Harsha Bhogle, a well-known cricket commentator, expressed his thoughts on the situation on social media.”If you play in the hills, I guess you have to live as the weather dictates. First time I am seeing fog stops play.”, stated Harsha Bhogle in a tweet on X (Formerly twitter).
If you play in the hills, I guess you have to live as the weather dictates. First time I am seeing fog stops play.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 22, 2023
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were the batters at the crease when the umpires decided to take the players off the field following a brief discussion. Regarding the match itself, New Zealand were asked to bat first after Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to field. India’s bowlers, Siraj and Shami, each took one wicket, disrupting New Zealand’s top order and limiting them to just 34 runs in the initial 10 overs. However, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell formed a resilient partnership that helped New Zealand recover. They set a target of 274 runs for India.
Fog with Clouds – Winter has arrived in Dharamshala bhai. 🥲❄️#INDvsNZ #ICCCricketWorldCup pic.twitter.com/IImPvtTLvD
— Cric Point (@RealCricPoint) October 22, 2023
Clouds stop play briefly.
Visibility is dipping sharply.Umpires and players waiting. #INDvsNZ @ABPNews @abplive pic.twitter.com/KTKQjBDmmU
— Rajesh Kumar Pal (@saregamapal) October 22, 2023
Lockie Ferguson dismissed both Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, in quick succession after they had provided a strong start. The Indian skipper, Rohit, was just 4 runs short of his half-century when he was out for 46, while Gill returned to the pavilion after scoring 26 runs. However, Kohli’s 95 ensured India ended up winning the match by 4 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten on 39 off 44.
