An elderly man on a mobility scooter briefly halted the India A vs New Zealand A Test by crossing the sight screen, sparking Santa Claus and Ultron comparisons online. India A made 346 before NZ A reached 218/3 on Day 2.
On Day 1 of the second unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A, a hilarious moment was witnessed as the action was brought to a brief standstill by an unexpected spectator driving across the line of sight at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, October 31.
On the opening day of the second unofficial Test, India were put to bat first and bundled out for 346 in 102.4 overs in the following day, with Dhruv Jurel’s 105-run innings and two fifties by Devdutt Padikkal (80) and Akash Deep (61) helping stabilize the visitors' innings after an early wobble, which saw India reeling at 160/6 in 53.1 overs.
For New Zealand, Fraser Sheat led the bowling attack with figures of 4/63 at an economy rate of 2.60 in his spell of 24 overs. Brett Randell (2/66), Jarrod McKay (2/113), Jayden Lennox (1/33), and Kristian Clarke (1/55) chipped in with wickets to restrict the visitors.
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An Elderly Man Interrupts Match with Mobility Scooter
As Team India managed to cross the 340-run mark late on Day 1, the spotlight was on an elderly man who rode a mobility scooter right across the sight screen, directly entering the batter's line of vision.
The incident took place in the 83rd over of India A’s first innings when Akash Deep was ready to take a strike, and Brett Randell was in his run-up. Just as Randell charged in, the elderly spectator casually rode past the open perimeter directly behind the sight screen. Akash raised his hand, and the Kiwi bowler had to abort his delivery midway through his stride.
The innings resumed after the man parked his scooter somewhere near the ground and cleared the batter's line of vision. The brief halt of play brought amusement to both sides, with the umpires, players, and commentators sharing a laugh at the unusual disruption before focus returned to the day's play.
Since Hagley Oval has access to the public behind the grassy banks, open perimeter paths, and surrounding parkland, spectators can easily stroll or ride past the playing arena. Since the stadium doesn’t have a typical high-fenced perimeter or enclosed stadium wall, fans often move around freely behind the boundary.
The open, picturesque landscape of Christchurch’s venue frequently allows for such candid, close-up interactions between spectators and the ground environment.
Santa Claus, Ultron? Netizens Come Up With Hilarious Comparisons
A hilarious video of an unidentified elderly man casually riding his mobility scooter across the sight screen during the India A vs New Zealand A unofficial Test has gone viral on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
Taking to their X handles, many cricket fans found the elderly man's nonchalant behaviour hilarious, with some comparing him to Santa Claus arriving early for Christmas, while others likened him to Marvel's Ultron.
Another section of fans praised the elderly man's unbothered attitude, with one calling him a “proper vibe” and another saying that such nonchalant moments make cricket entertaining.
Meanwhile, on Day 2, New Zealand A assumed their first innings and posted a total of 218/3 in 62 overs, with Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft batting on 107 and 80, respectively, while sharing an unbeaten 205-run partnership after an early collapse and trailing by 128 runs at stumps on Day 2.
Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj (1/49) and Mukesh Kumar (2/44) tore through New Zealand A's top order, leaving the hosts reeling at 13/3 within the first eight overs.
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