How Star TV and BCCI's blunder cost India the win in the second T20 against WI
After suffering a 1-run loss in the first T20I at Florida against West Indies, India went into the last match needing the win in order to level the series. However, their hopes of doing so were hampered by rain and a 'technical delay' as the match was abandoned, and West Indies won the series 1-0.
Despite the prediction of rain later on in the afternoon, the start of the second T20I was delayed by 40 minutes as Star TV, the broadcaster of the game, struggled with a technical failure with the satellite truck. That delay meant that the rain arrived even before India could bat for 5 overs in their innings, which is the minimum number required for the Duckworth-Lewis method to be implemented.
Having restricted West Indies to a score of 143, India needed 28 runs by the end of the 5th over to win the match (under Duckworth-Lewis method, if India did not lose a wicket). But, India could complete only 2 overs as rain washed away the remaining time to help the Windies win the series 1-0 and left the Indian fans to rue the delayed start.
Initially, Star TV drew a lot of flak for the error, but now it has been confirmed that the delay in the start of the match was a result of a joint-request from both the teams. On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council clarified that it was, in fact, on request from the two Boards, the BCCI and the West Indies Cricket Board, that the match timings were tweaked, reported Cricbuzz.
"Taking into account the strategic considerations behind the staging of the two international matches in Florida, the match officials, on the request of the two competing Members, agreed to tweak the playing hours to allow the host broadcaster to overcome the technical difficulties," an ICC spokesperson said in reply to a specific query in this regard, reported Cricbuzz.
According to the report, Star TV are apologetic about the mess, but insisted that "it wasn't their call to interfere with the match timings".