The toss between India and England for the fifth T20 international was delayed since the visitors got late to enter the stadium. Yes, you read that right. Not because of a rain delay or a weather interruption but an international match gets delayed since one team failed to reach the venue on time. You don’t hear this often. But due to Southampton’s heavy traffic, Team India got late.
The toss was scheduled to take place at 6:30 PM IST at the Rose Bowl. However, the Indian team wasn’t even there on the ground at that time. They reached the venue around 6:35 PM IST, with the officials rescheduling the toss time to 7:15 PM IST. The play will start at 7:30 PM IST (30 mins later than the original time).
Southampton traffic chaos delays India
The delay caught many by surprise, especially with England already present at the venue and ready for the final match of the five-game series. Broadcasters initially confirmed that India’s team bus had been caught in heavy traffic while making its way to the stadium.
Southampton’s Rose Bowl has previously faced criticism over accessibility issues on major match days. Reports from the ground suggested that even shuttle services were severely affected. One spectator reportedly took 57 minutes to complete a journey of just 3.8 miles (6.1 kms) from the railway station to the stadium.
With only one major road servicing the venue, congestion quickly built up around the ground. The issue has also led to some concerns ahead of next year’s Ashes Test, which is also scheduled to be played at the venue. The bizarre scenes reminded fans of an incident earlier this year when England’s team bus was delayed by traffic, forcing some players to cycle to the stadium to avoid being late.
England have already sealed the contest after winning the first four games, leaving Shreyas Iyer‘s men searching for a consolation victory. With the series gone and several players struggling for form, India could also make a few changes to the playing XI, with Sanju Samson among those in contention for a recall in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
