IND vs BAN 2nd Test: Kanpur Authorities Hire Langurs to Prevent Monkey Menace at Green Park Stadium

Add as a preferred source on Google

Kanpur, Sep 27: An unexpected monkey menace almost disrupted the practice session of India and Bangladesh cricket teams on Wednesday (September 25) at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, the administration has ramped up itself to counter this challenge if comes up during the match days of the second Test, which started Friday (September 27).

A group of mischievous primates descended upon the stadium and were spotted roaming in the stands and scaling the structures set up for the broadcast crew.

The raised stands beyond the boundary line, typically used to position cameras, were a prime target for the opportunistic animals. These areas, often containing snacks and drinks for the camera operators, seemed to attract the primates' attention. To minimise monkey infiltration, the broadcast stands were covered with black cloth on all sides.

Addressing concerns about the monkey menace, Sanjay Kapoor, the venue director, revealed that the local administration had devised a strategy to counter the primates' antics during the match.

"To avoid the terror of monkeys, we have langurs (long-tailed leaf monkeys) to take care of them," Kapoor said during a media briefing. Langurs, known to scare off smaller monkeys, have been successfully deployed in the past during international matches at Kanpur.

A video circulated on social media showed several monkeys climbing on top of a white tent canopy over the ground while players practiced in the nets. The monkeys, some accompanied by their young, scoured the area for food, munching on whatever they could find.

Thousands of fans are anticipated to attend the second and final Test of the series, where India leads 1-0 following their commanding 280-run victory in Chennai.

Kapur informed the media that 28007 seats are available at the stadium for this Test match as Kanpur is hosting an international fixture after a gap of three years. The administration has also planned to bring 3000 school students per day during the match in their bid to encourage youngsters to get inspired watching these international stars in flesh and bone.

Rohit Sharma and his men will be keen to keep their focus on the game and seal the series. After the Test series, India will also host Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series before preparing for their final home challenge of the year - a three-Test series against New Zealand from October 16 to November 5.

The Indian skipper won the toss and invited Bangladesh to bat first on the opening day. Team India remain unchanged in this game as they have decided to go ahead with two spinners and three seamers. Contrary to the popular sentiments, local boy Kuldeep Yadav failed to get a spot in the playing eleven.