Former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin has revealed that it was nightwatchman Nathan Lyon's request to have a net session that led to two blackouts on Day 1 of the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval.
India pacer Harshit Rana was left frustrated as the floodlights went out twice during the last session of Day 1 when Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne were in the middle.
“I was speaking to the ground staff and it was all about Nathan Lyon,’’ Haddin said on The Willow Talk podcast.
“Nathan Lyon went out the back for a hit and they went to turn the lights on and whatever happened, they turned the wrong set off and the lights went off and Nathan Lyon said, ‘I’ve got to fix this so I can go out and bat in the nets’.
“They politely said to Nathan, the lights are off on the ground, we’re not so worried about your hit at the moment. So that’s come hot off the press from the curators.”
Lyon who is often plays the nightwatchman role for Australia wanted to play a few deliveries if he needed to walk out to bat late into Day 1. However, the two blackouts led to Lyon not having a net session.
ALSO READ: 'You can't expect Bumrah will bowl from both ends morning to evening': Rohit Sharma wants other bowlers to step up after 10-wicket loss in Adelaide
No Lyon magic in Australia's dominating win
Lyon's services were not needed as Labuschagne and McSweeney batted under pressure and managed to survive the new ball. In addition, he bowled just one over in the pink-ball Test as Australian pacers dominate Indian batters.
The visitors were bowled out for 180 and 175 in the first and second innings respectively. In the first innings, left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc with his career-best six-wicket haul. Then, skipper Pat Cummins bagged a five-wicket haul as India managed to evade an innings defeat and set a target of just 19 runs.
This iwas the shortest completed Tests between India and Australia on Australian soil. The Test came to an end in just 1,031 balls bowled across seven sessions.
The next Test will be played at The Gabba, Brisbane starting December 10.
