EXPLAINED: Why Adelaide Oval’s lights malfunctioned during India vs Australia day-night Test
New Delhi: The Adelaide Oval blackout during Day 1 of the India vs Australia pink-ball Test on Friday, which triggered a wave of memes comparing it to Pakistan’s stadiums, was reportedly caused by an error in the light control room. The incident forced a halt in play at a critical moment. As per The Sydney Morning Herald, the confusion stemmed from an Australian team’s request for an evening practice session, leading to the venue’s new LED lights being switched off twice within a single over.
According to the report, the Adelaide Oval control room, located at the top of the Western Stand, received a request to turn on the net lights for a throwdown session while Australia’s top order was batting against India.
However, when the computer-operated light settings were adjusted, the four light towers at Adelaide Oval unexpectedly went out, leaving the 50,000+ strong crowd surprised and prompting jokes about South Australia’s reliance on renewable energy for electricity.
“They went out to turn on the net lights so the nightwatchmen could have a couple of throw-downs and somehow either turned them to the wrong thing or something tripped. It was about trying to get the net lights on,” a source told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The first delay lasted just 28 seconds around 3:55 pm IST, while the second one stretched to a minute and 26 seconds shortly after. During this time, the crowd amusingly switched on their phone lights, adding to the bizarre atmosphere in the final hour of play on Day 1.
“Very frustrating for the umpires and the players. They will be having their concentration and routines broken like everyone else and having to refocus and get back on the job as quickly as possible,” former umpire Simon Taufel said while commentating on Channel 7.
Thankfully, the new LED lights allowed play to resume quickly, whereas the previous lights would have taken nearly 20 minutes to power back up, causing a much longer delay in the game.