The India vs South Africa fourth T20I, which was going to be played at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on 17th December, was abandoned due to fog without a ball being played. The question is whether this was the first time that the match was abandoned due to fog, and the answer to that is no, as it has happened before.
This match could have decided the series as India were the team in form and they were leading 2-1 after winning the first and the third T20I respectively. There was one big piece of news for the Indian team as Shubman Gill was ruled out of the match due to an injury, and Sanju Samson was most likely to replace him in the starting eleven, but unfortunately, the match was abandoned without a ball being played in the India vs South Africa 4th T20I.
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India vs South Africa: Was this the first time that a game was abandoned due to fog?
There were different times when the umpires and the match referees came out for inspection to determine when the toss could be scheduled and when the match could get underway. All of it was done just for the safety of the players because, in the end, it was what mattered. There should be at least minimal visibility of the ball so that the umpires feel safe, and then only could the players been allowed to walk on the pitch to kick off the match, but it did not happen as the umpires did not give the green light.
This is not the first time that a match has been abandoned due to fog without a ball being played. We have to look back almost 25 years when this match incident happened, and it was in a test match. It was the month of December and the year was 1998. Pakistan were already to face Zimbabwe at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The match was set to start on 17th December 1998 and end on 21st December 1998, but not even a single ball was bowled during the five days as the fog had its say. Basically, the visibility was so low that batting, bowling, or even fielding seemed impossible.
Now everything will come down to the fifth T20I between India and South Africa. Will India win the series, or will South Africa level the series, and will it end in a 2-2 draw? The date for the India vs South Africa 5th T20I is 19th of December, and the match will kick off at 7 PM with the toss taking place at 6:30 PM. Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be the venue for the India vs South Africa 5th T20I.