Uthappa unhappy with Mysore crowd behaviour

Uthappa was not happy with the way fans at Mysore treated the Karnataka players

Karnataka batsman Robin Uthappa was not pleased with the way that the crowd at Mysore behaved during Karnataka's Ranji Trophy match against Haryana recently. Uthappa also revealed that most of his teammates were not keen on playing the next match at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Stadium.

According to a report on TOI, the Karnataka players have not gone to the Karnataka State Cricket Association to talk about the crowd issue. Karnataka managed a hard-fought draw against Haryana in the third round of their Ranji Trophy match.

On all four days of the match, there was a considerable number of people at the stadium, mainly to watch recently-retired Virender Sehwag in action. The crowd went ballistic after the former Indian opener reached his century in the first innings. Along with cheering Sehwag on, some of the spectators began taunting the home side for no apparent reason.

“It's disappointing. You're playing on your home ground and you're being abused and called names. It's disheartening, but you perceive it differently and take it in your stride,” Uthappa said.

“We're professional cricketers and we're out there to play professionally so it doesn't bother us but if you look at it from an emotional perspective or a support perspective, it's just appalling,” he continued.

Although Uthappa suggested that Sehwag's presence was a reason for the crowd's behaviour, he stated that the Karnataka team has been facing this kind of treatment from the Mysore crowd since the past seven years or so. According to the batsman, talking to the crowd in the past has only made matters worse.

Uthappa told that the Karnataka players were keen on having the venue shifted from Mysore to another one for Karnataka's next game against Odisha starting on November 7. Hubli was one of the names he suggested.

“A lot of us felt we were playing away. Most of the boys want the next game in Mysuru to be shifted. You want the atmosphere to be an advantage, not a disadvantage. Hopefully the crowd, if we're playing here, can be more supportive,” he hoped.

Even Haryana players were bemused with the way the home crowd treated their team. Jayant Yadav, who scored a century and picked up eight wickets in the match, was amazed with the way the Mysore crowd behaved.

“I have never been here so I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know so many people would come. Obviously Viru Bhai is supported anywhere in India so it was good for us. We were actually shocked with what was happening,” Yadav said.

Karnataka have drawn their first four matches of the 2015/16 Ranji Trophy and will be looking for a win against Odisha come November 7. They will be hoping that the crowd gets behind them – wherever they are to play – and help them get their first win of the season.