Pink ball cricket is a new experiment in the cricket world to attract more fans to watch the Test match and save the traditional form of cricket from the debacle. India is all set to play its maiden day-night Test against Bangladesh beginning on November 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
D/N Test debut for India
Virat Kohli and his troops are anxiously waiting to start their pink-ball journey with a victory. The number one Test team in the world is leading with a 1-0 in the two-match series-winning Indore Test by an innings and 130 runs. Team India is targeting to clinch its 12th consecutive series victory in its backyard, which will add another feather to Virat Kohli’s much-admired cap.
D/N journey starts in OZ
The first-ever day-night Test came into vogue in Australia in November 2015 between Australia and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval. Credit should be given to the newly elected president of BCCI Sourav Ganguly, who first convinced both the contesting teams to play Test match under floodlights. Later, he took the responsibility on his shoulder for arranging a grand show at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.
Eyes on whitewash
As expected, India will thrash Bangladesh in the day-night fixture. It would be India’s third successive whitewash in a row, it had earlier defeated the West Indies and South Africa by 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. No other Indian team has achieved this unique feat before. “The pink-ball Test is a challenge for us. It is very exciting for us as the energy will be very high. It is a landmark occasion,” Virat Kohli said on Thursday.
BCCI to make this occasion historic
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is leaving no stone unturned to make this historic Test a special occasion for the cricket supporters of both the countries. The crazy cricket fans of Kolkata are eagerly waiting for the match. Available tickets of the first four days have already been sold out.
Hasina-Mamata set to ring bell together
Apart from cricket, fans will witness several other things during the match. Before the kickstart of the historic match, Army paratroopers will fly into the Eden Gardens and hand over a pink ball to both the captains of the team just before the toss. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee will ring the customary Eden Bell to signify the imminent start of the Test match.
Entertainment during break
The 20-minute tea break would be replete with entertainment when former captains and sportspersons from other disciplines will be taken out on carts and they will run around the ground. Apart from this, during the 40-minute supper break, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has organised a talk show featuring the ‘Fabulous Five’ of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman. They will deliver their experience on the epic 2001 Test victory against formidable Australia at Eden Gardens.
Felicitation to other sportspersons
CAB has decided to felicitate sports stars of other disciplines including Olympic gold medalist in shooting Abhinav Bindra, tennis star Sania Mirza, world badminton champion PV Sindhu and six-time boxing world champion Mary Kom and many more. It will also honour players of Bangladesh-India first-ever Test in 2000 in which it was Ganguly who incidentally led that Indian side for the first time in the Test match.
Despite all the formalities, team India is upbeat to end the game within five days. Bangladesh has nothing to lose, they are underdogs. Can they stretch this Test beyond the fourth day? If yes, then it would be Bangladesh’s achievement otherwise winning on India’s backyard is like climbing on the Everest for the neighboring nation.
