NEWSCricket Association of Bengal (CAB) secretary Avishek Dalmiya on Tuesday said they will leave no stone unturned to make India’s first-ever Day-Night Test, here next month a success.
The Indian cricket team will play its maiden Day-Night Test match against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens here from November 22 to 26. The match will be the second game of a two-match series.
“In one word, we are delighted. Its also a great news for all the cricket lovers. Eden has been privy to a lot of history. It would be another feather on its cap,” Dalmiya said.
“CAB would leave no stone unturned to ensure that it is a successful event. The presence of dignitaries and distinguished guests, cultural shows and felicitation of former players would add to the grandeur of the event.”
The development ended days of speculation after new BCCI president Sourav Ganguly first proposed the idea to the Bangladesh Cricket Board, which faced resistance from its players and sat for multiple meetings to convince them.
“We would not waste any time and would start planning internally to make it a memorable occasion from tomorrow itself and to give it a carnival feel. Other steps would be taken in this regard,” Dalmiya said.
“We also intend to sit with the BCCI president to work out other modalities and also to ensure we are in sync with the plans of the Indian Cricket Board.”
Internationally, there have been 11 day-night Tests so far since the first between Australia and New Zealand in 2015. The most recent day-night Test took place in January this year between Australia and Sri Lanka in Brisbane.
India were approached to play a day-night Test during their tour of Australia last year but the country declined the offer at that time, asserting that sighting the ball becomes a problem after it gets old under floodlights.
Talking about the initiative, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said: “It is a great day for Indian cricket. Sourav, myself and our team had an idea of revolutionizing Test cricket and this is our first step towards it. It was very important to start the process now since India does not play a lot of Test matches after the Bangladesh series.
“We thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board for accepting our request for a Day-Night Test match on such a short notice.”
BCB President Nazmul Hassan also welcomed the move, saying it only highlights the strong bond that the two boards share.
“The BCB and BCCI share a very long history of support, co-operation and friendship. Ours is a bond of strength and it is very heartening and reassuring for the BCB to have someone like Mr Ganguly as BCCI President who has been an integral part of this journey,” he said.
“On that note, I am pleased that we have had a frank and constructive discussion with the players and the Team Management. I have received a positive response about playing the Day-Night Test in view of the BCB-BCCI relationship.”
Early start, Rs 50 per day tickets on offer for D/N Test
India’s first-ever Day-Night Test here against Bangladesh is expected to begin at least an hour early than the usual 2.30pm start, Dalmiya said.
The CAB is also trying its best to make it a full house in the 68,000-capacity stadium on all the five days by offering a daily ticket starting as low as Rs 50.
Less than a week after becoming BCCI president, the Sourav Ganguly-led board on Tuesday made its biggest announcement when India and Bangladesh mutually agreed to play their first ever Day-Night Test at Eden Gardens from November 22 to 26, the second game of a two-match series.
Hosts CAB said they would seek BCCI’s clearance for a 1pm or 1.30pm start keeping in mind of the dew factor and the spectators convenience.
“One can expect an early start than the usual day/night encounters. It will not be a 2.30pm start. 1.30pm start would mean the match would get over by 8.30pm and the spectators will return home early,” CAB secretary Avishek Dalmiya told PTI.
A final clearance will come from the BCCI in consultation with the broadcasters.
“We will send the tickets for printing as we get the timing confirmation from BCCI and broadcasters. We are planning to bring in school children from the districts and local schools and we don’t want any inconvenience.
“Ticket denominations will be of Rs 50, 100, 150 on daily basis. We will try our best to pull in as many crowd as possible. We hope it will be a success,” Dalmiya added.
Unlike the traditional Tests, in the Day-Night Test the first break will be of a tea break of 20 minutes followed by a supper break of 40 minutes which would mean one-and-half session will be played under lights.
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