Ashes 2017: Fans swarm in with anticipation as Adelaide gears up for historic day-night encounter

Adelaide: Not since the blockbuster 2015 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan has the city of Adelaide been so enthralled with a game of cricket. A day out from the first ever day-night Ashes Test, the city of churches has been bustling with fans arriving from all around Australia and England.

Posters have been hoisted around the Riverbank footbridge that connects the city centre to the scenic Adelaide Oval. The posters have images of all the current cricketing icons that are lit up as we approach twilight. It has become the notorious spot for ‘selfies’ over the past couple of nights. Underneath all the photos is the social media tag #beatengland.

The purpose of the hashtag might be to inspire the locals, but given the buzz around the city, there is a sense that the Barmy Army could potentially fill one-third of the ground.

North Adelaide hotels are gearing up for five days of cricket madness when the Test series starts on Saturday. The hotels are bracing themselves to be jam-packed with post-cricket crowds especially, given the Test match starts on a weekend.

Air fares to and from Adelaide have been hiked by close to 200 percent. Hotel prices for the weekend have sky-rocketed from AUS $100 to as much as AUS $350 per night and the first two days are close to a sell-out.

While this will be Adelaide’s third day-night affair, the fact that it is against the ‘old enemy’ has rejuvenated interest in the fixture.

Simon Godfrey, an English fan who has traveled from Bristol, believes watching the first day-night Ashes Test is something he had been planning for the last six months.

“The way Test cricket is going at the moment, we potentially could have more day-night Tests than the traditional 10 am–6 pm, so to be part of the first-ever Test will be like watching history, it is absolutely worth it to travel to this beautiful ground and be part of that ‘I was there’ moment”. Godfey told Firstpost.

Traditionally, the Barmy Army have flocked to Australia during the later stages of the Ashes. The Boxing Day Test and the New Year’s Test in Sydney have had the maximum English fans, but this time around a majority of the fans have rescheduled their travel to ensure they are around for the day-night encounter.

Also, given the fact that the tourists were competitive for at least three days of the Gabba Test has raised the hopes of English fans. The mystery around the pink ball and change of timings only adds to the excitement.

While this will be the third occasion Adelaide has hosted the day-night Test match, nobody has been able to predict the behaviour of the pink ball under lights. It is almost like the benign pitch can spring to life under artificial light, and the batsmen have their work cut out.

“Under lights, the ball can really zip through and the Adelaide pitch becomes the fastest pitch in Australia” said Australian coach Darren Lehmann.

The unknowns of the day-night concept adds to the suspense and keeps everyone on their toes.

It is a stark contrast to the traditional Adelaide Oval, which has always been a batting paradise where losing the toss has meant spending two days out on the field under the beaming hot Adelaide sun.

But the day-night Test concept has broken those traditions. Hot beverages are equally in demand as the cold refreshments. Fans might rock up with a shirt and shorts, but exit the venue at the end of the day’s play in a sweater or a scarf.

For the next five days, the weather gurus are expecting a cold chill at night which only increases the visitors’ hopes. As England captain Joe Root put it: “The pink ball game has come at a good time for us. It might be a little bit cooler as well, looking at the forecast, with a bit of rain around, so you are looking at more English-style conditions.“ Root told reporters on the morning before the match.

Adelaide is set to resemble the English weather and conditions. Fans have already started to flock in, and the night session is bound to attract more public to the game. No longer are people taking time off work to go watch a game of cricket. The corporate crowd will arrive for the evening session, and tickets prices are slashed if you plan on attending the final session of the day.

There is a sense of anonymity and anticipation, but with it comes the expectation.

Ball is supposed to dominate the bat. The pink ball is supposed to hoop around corners, and the seam movement offered by the grassy surface is supposed to aid the England bowlers more so than the Australian firebrands.

Recent history shows that both the day-night affairs have been evenly-fought contests. This match is likely to be the same. There is that intrigue among both sets of supporters. It is potentially the Test match that could decide the fate of the Ashes.

No wonder there is so much buzz around the city. England win, and the Barmy Army will travel across the Nullarbor Plain to Perth with hope of retaining the little urn. If they lose, they might as well start their journey back home, because this series then has the potential to get really nasty.

There is plenty riding on the historic Adelaide Test. The beautiful sunset over the Western stand, the sound of the Cathedral bell that is behind the iconic Adelaide Oval scoreboard, the mystery that lies in the pink ball and the battle that is the Ashes. It is a cricketing nirvana.