Pitch Abandoned: India vs Sri Lanka ODI Halted After 23.3 Overs Due to Dangerous Kotla Surface
Ferozeshah Kotla pitch deemed unsafe in 2009 ODI after erratic bounce injured players
On December 27, 2009, the fifth ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla became the first international cricket match abandoned due to dangerous pitch conditions. Just 23.3 overs were bowled before match referee Alan Hurst, captains MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara, and officials declared the pitch unsafe. Sri Lanka batters faced extreme danger as deliveries from similar areas bounced from shin to shoulder height, with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya struck multiple times. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar criticized the relaid pitch as a 'hair transplant' with bald patches causing the treacherous bounce. The match was abandoned, marking a black day in Delhi cricket history and resulting in a one-year ban for the venue from international cricket. India had already won the five-match series 3-1.
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