MCA secretary 'apologises' to spectators over no-water fiasco on Day 1 of Pune Test: 'This won't be repeated...'

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The ongoing Test match between India and New Zealand has seen Test cricket return to Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium for the first time since 2019. While it is a big occasion for a cricket-frenzied city, the first day of the match saw complaints and discomfort for attendants, as the heat of the day provided difficulties for match-going fans.

According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the issue stemmed from a lack of readily available water stations in combination with the fact that much of the MCA Stadium is open and without roofs to keep off the sun.

Several attendants complained of heat exhaustion, dizziness, and dehydration on the first day of the Test. However, MCA secretary Kamlesh Pisal spoke to reporters and promised that the stadium would make preparations for the need for water and more accessible amenities from day two onwards.

“We can only apologise to the fans for inconvenience caused. But we want to assure them, through MCA, that this won't be repeated, and everything will be taken care of,” said Pisal to reporters following the close of play on Thursday.

‘In that process it got delayed…’

“Considering the scorching heat, we had decided to provide cold water. In our previous experience, the fans had complained about us providing warm water or boiling water. We, as management, thought we would provide them with cold water, so we had kept cool cages," explained Pisal about the situation which gave rise to the water issues at the stadium.

“Once the water in cool cages finished, we tried to refill it with the same cold water, and in that process, it got delayed. We have done a recce of the entire water in stands and will make sure everything is refilled properly tonight to avoid such situations,” concluded the MCA secretary.

Temperatures exceeded 30 degrees celsius on day one at the MCA Stadium. The Pune stadium is located on the Pune-Mumbai highway, which is an area that does suffer from heatwaves, and only six of the stands have roofs to provide shade to fans.

Fans were forced to resort to water bottles sold at inflated prices at the concession stands, despite promises made for ready access to water to combat the conditions.

With India set to bat, even more fans are expected to head to the MCA Stadium to watch on day two. The home team look to track down New Zealand’s first innings score, having restricted the Kiwis to 259 all-out. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the two batters at the crease at start of play.