T20 series defeat: Did India pay for broadcaster's delay?

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Was the bizarre 'technical error' on the part of the broadcaster - which led to the second T20 International between India and West Indies getting delayed by 40 minutes at Fort Lauderdale on Sunday - responsible for India losing + the series?

The match, scheduled to begin at 7.30 pm IST, eventually began at 8.10 pm IST. Once the match began, West Indies were bowled out for just 143 runs and were two overs into a chase that had started off well before the rains took over.

The showers lasted 20 minutes, giving way to a wet outfield and consuming enough time to ensure three more overs couldn't be bowled, thus eliminating the possibility of a result via the Duckworth-Lewis method.

To make matters worse, Fort Lauderdale wasn't equipped with a Super Sopper. Having lost the first match, India lost the series.

In a T20 match, 40 minutes are enough for around 10 overs to be bowled, raising the question if the 'technical snag' came in the way of a possible Indian victory. Tickets for Sunday's match had been sold for steep prices but at the end of the game, Ravi Shastri - anchoring the presentation ceremony - did not mention a word about the huge delay. "The satellite truck had to be replaced and that caused the delay," a source told TOI. The live feed produced from a game is routed to the satellite truck, usually parked in or around the stadium, and uplinked from there to a satellite for international broadcasters to downlink in their control rooms.

"The point is, the series is being played for whom exactly?

Cricket fans around the world or the broadcasters? There's no reason why the match couldn't have continued + , even if the broadcasters were facing some technical error. What has that got to do with match timings," the source said.

Asked to comment on the delay, BCCI sources confirmed that "the reason (for delay) is that the uplink to the satellite was unstable and rectification took time".

Incidentally, in an India vs England match in Hyderabad in 2011, then-official broadcasters Neo were involved in talks with Doordarshan over a bank guarantee that led to the first three overs of the game not being televised, for which they had to send out an official statement. It is the only other recorded instance of the kind.

"A match gets delayed by 40 minutes because the broadcaster is facing a technical error? This is ridiculous. Who is supposed to take responsibility for this?

BCCI or the broadcaster? Lodha panel has said justice is not being done to TV viewership," industry sources said.

T20 series defeat: Did India pay for broadcaster's delay? - Times of India
 
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