Watch: Snake delays start of Andhra's Ranji Trophy opener against defending champions Vidarbha

It was a pleasant morning in Vijaywada. The conditions were perfect for the opening day’s action between Andhra and Vidarbha in the new Ranji Trophy season with no delays expected. Vidarbha captain Faiz Fazal won the toss and elected to field first. However, the day’s action did not start on time. It was neither the rain nor bees  swarming the field. It was neither ferocious lightning nor a car making its way to the middle. This time, it was a snake. Just when the umpires and the players were walking to the middle, a snake was spotted on the field and it resulted in a delay of few minutes. In a video put by the BCCI, the snake was seen slithering across the field as groundstaff tried to chase the reptile away.

The players waited for the serpent to leave the field and then Day 1 action got underway at Vijaywada’s Dr Gokaraju Liala Gangaaraju ACA Cricket Ground. Andhra face a tough task in their opening match as they take defending champions Vidarbha. The western India team had clinched the prestigious title two times in a row and will aim to make it a hat-trick this season. Andhra’s team is captained by India’s Test specialist Hanuma Vihari.