Cuttack decks itself up as T20 returns in a carnival avatar to Barabati

There is a strange sense of optimism among Cuttack’s fans. Despite being one of the worst-managed venues in the entire country, fans flock to the stadium in thousands to catch a glimpse of their favourite players even on practice days. Even the otherwise quaint Ring Road near Mahanadi fills up with vendors selling replica jerseys and caps, almost a week before the game, creating a carnival atmosphere.

Cricket might be a religion in all parts of India, but in Cuttack, the story attaches a bit more significance. It doesn’t really matter if there are no chairs in the stands for fans; it doesn’t matter if over 70% of the tickets are given as passes, leaving only a handful of upper stands tickets for the general public - Cuttack shows up uncannily.

Ask any cricketer who’s ever played a match at the venue, and they’d attest to the passion this city brings to the table, almost anachronistic at a time when the sport has become too mechanical. But then, that’s the strange thing about small cricket centres like Barabati.

“Yahan ka Fan Jabardast hai (Fans here are amazing),” Suryakumar Yadav didn’t lie when he was asked about his experience at the venue ahead of the 1st T20I of the five-T20I series against South Africa.

But the venue, which prides itself on hosting India’s third ODI at home and Sachin Tendulkar’s first-ever World Cup century, has quietly fallen off the radar when it comes to having its share of representation. Before 2017, domestic games like the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games used to be commonplace, but barring home Ranji games, the venue didn’t come up in discussion.

Even when it hosted an ODI game between India and England earlier this year, it created a bad reputation with a floodlight failure that lasted 20 minutes and brought the game to a halt. The newly elected Odisha state government had issued a show-cause notice to the state association, only for the discussion to die a slow death less than a week later. Now, 10 months later, the Stadium is to host another game.

Optically, the BCCI doesn’t have a choice but to award Cuttack with matches to keep the rotation policy in mind. They also need to take cognisance of the votes that come with it, but the fact that Odisha desperately needs a revamp of its premier cricket infrastructure hasn’t really taken off. While the previous dispensation of the state government announced a revamp in a mega function, the conversation has since dried up.

While the Barabati retains its old-world charm, and the cool breeze flowing from the two sides of the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers makes it a pleasant experience, there needs to be a succinct assessment of the facilities extended to fans. The Association has definitely taken the first step in the right direction by laying the surface, with the match set to be played on red soil for the first time, as against the typical black soil of Odisha. Would that aid fast bowlers or spinners would wrest control remains to be seen, but it is definitely something to be excited about.

"Red soil?" Suryakumar Yadav had no idea ahead of the game. "And for the first time?” he added. “I haven't seen the pitch yet - didn't get a chance to go down. I think it should be good. Black soil would have been better, but I feel the red soil will also play well. A red-soil wicket can be quick too. Let's see. If it's fast, that's good.”

No matter the nature of the surface, one thing is clear - Cuttack is going to have a party on Tuesday as Suryakumar Yadav and Aiden Markram make their way to the iconic venue. One would expect it to live up to the expectations.