India vs England: Odisha Government Seeks OCA's Clarification Over Barabati Floodlight Failure

India vs England: The Odisha government is set to demand an explanation from the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) after a floodlight failure at Barabati Stadium caused a 30-minute delay during the second ODI between India and England.

The disruption, which occurred despite prior arrangements, has sparked concerns over match-day preparedness. State Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, who was present at the stadium alongside Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other officials, confirmed the government's intention to address the issue.

"An explanation will be sought from the OCA over the floodlight glitch. It happened despite taking all precautions and making elaborate prior arrangements by the OCA," Suraj stated, as quoted by TOI.

OCA secretary Sanjay Behera explained the technical hiccup, revealing that each floodlight tower had two generators as a backup. "When one generator malfunctioned, we put the second one in service. But it required some time to move the generator as the players' vehicle was parked in between the tower and the second generator," Behera told reporters.

The incident drew criticism from Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, who was also in attendance. "What happened at the Barabati stadium today is very unfortunate. An impartial investigation should be conducted," she remarked, according to TOI.

Despite the temporary delay, the game resumed smoothly, with Rohit Sharma silencing critics by scoring his 32nd ODI century, steering India to a commanding four-wicket victory to seal the series against England. Chief Minister Majhi, while addressing the spectators, lauded the thrilling contest and congratulated both teams on their performance, expressing his delight at India's triumph. India head into the third and final ODI with an unassailable 2-0 lead. The last ODI will be played in Ahmedabad on February 12.