‘Oh hello. They’ve run out of electricity in Adelaide’: Mark Waugh on floodlight failure in Pink-Ball Test | Cricket News

While the opening day of the Pink Ball Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide saw a record attendance of 36,225, the opening day also saw the failure of floodlights twice during Australia’s innings post the tea-break. With the floodlights going off twice during the 18th over bowled Indian pacer Harshit Rana, former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh took a dig at the issue.
“Oh hello. They’ve run out of electricity in Adelaide. Pretty hot today. Plenty of air conditioners on,” Waugh said while commentating on Fox Cricket. Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle too joined Waugh over the issue and shared his thoughts during the two stoppage breaks as lights went out. “Someone’s fallen asleep, so we have to wait. It’s a first for me, a Test match being stopped because the lights are gone. Is anyone there?”,” said Bhogle on air. Waugh was quick to reply to the Indian commentator. “I don’t think I’ve seen this in Australia,” said Waugh.
As the floodlights came back to life, Bhogle commented, “The lights are on again. Someone just turned the switch back on.”
It was not the first time that Adelaide Oval had faced issues with floodlights. According to Channel Nine reporter Tom Morris, the lights at the ground were retractable in the 1990’s with a couple of ODIs being played under such lights with Mark Waugh too making a hundred during an ODI game against New Zealand in December 1997. Morris further shared that a light had collapsed in 1998 and proper floodlights were installed at the ground in 2000 and were later upgraded in 2014. The new LED system was installed last year.
According to Fox Sports, commentator Kerry O’Keefe joked that he saw regular nightwatchman Nathan Lyon near a switchboard to avoid the possibility of a bat.