'Ashes plunged into darkness': Twitter irked as 'power issue' halts Gabba Test after no-ball fiasco

Not only the big screens at the stadium were down during the shutdown, but also the DRS technology was unavailable during the period, assigning the responsibility to the on-field umpires.

The global broadcast coverage of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba was halted due to a "power issue", inviting fans' ire on social media, especially after the no-ball fiasco on Day 2 of the series opener. The coverage resumed after about half an hour’s interruption.

Australia's Josh Hazlewood appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of England's Dawid Malan during day three of the first Ashes cricket test at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia (AP)

“There has been a power issue affecting the broadcast compound at the Gabba, resulting in the world feed going down and all resulting technology not working,” a Cricket Australia spokesman said. “The issue is being worked on with the aim to get everything working as soon as possible.”

Not only the big screens at the stadium were down during the shutdown, but also the DRS technology was unavailable during the period, assigning the responsibility to the on-field umpires.

Here's how fans reacted to the disruption in the Gabba Test:

The Ashes opener was plagued with multiple controversies, which began with a technology breakdown that led to the failure of checking front foot no-balls bowled by England all-rounder Ben Stokes.

Out of the 14 no-balls bowled by Stokes, only one was called -- the delivery of which he disturbed David Warner's woodwork. The TV umpire checked the front foot after Warner's dismissal and found Stokes overstepping, eventually leading to a social media meltdown.

Cricket Australia also informed that the RTS ‘Snicko’ technology has been unavailable for the test due to COVID-19 "border restrictions".

The opening Test eventually was clinched by the hosts, with Nathan Lyon, skipper Pat Cummins and Travis Head being the standout performers for Australia. Cummins took five in the first innings before Lyon recorded four in the second, setting a 20-run target for Australia to go 1-0 up in the series. Earlier with the bat, Head scored 152 while David Warner notched up 94 to help the Aussies put up 425 on the scoreboard.