After the successful first-ever Day-Night Test at Eden Gardens, Sourav Ganguly BCCI president, on Sunday, has promised to take the pink-ball game to all parts of the country.
Eden Gardens played the perfect host for the historic Day-Night game with packed crowds on all three days, recalling memories of the times when Test cricket was more popular.
However, the lack of competition on the field was nowhere close to the hype surrounding the game as India defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs on day three.
Sourav Ganguly wants India to play pink-ball Test in every series
Sourav Ganguly said “I am relaxed, relieved and happy. We wanted to do this for Test cricket. It is so important. People were not turning up for Test cricket. We did a lot of things (promotion) during and before this Test. It was sold out all throughout even today though the game was expected to finish early,”
“I remember the 2001 Test (India-Australia). There were more than 100,000 people in this stadium and you don’t want champions like Virat Kohli, Rohit or Ishant to play in front of empty stands. So, I am extremely happy to see this,” he added.
Skipper Virat Kohli also supported the move but has clearly stated that the day-night Test can be a one-off and not a regular feature. Sourav Ganguly said he will soon speak to captain Kohli to know his thoughts about the game and said it can’t be held in Kolkata every time despite the overwhelming response from the local crowd.
“Hopefully it will spread to other parts of the country, and I am convinced it will. This will revive Test cricket because it is different for people. Everything changes with time including people’s taste,” Kohli added.
“I remember when T20 started in 2007 and India won the World Cup, the format was not given a lot of value. 10 years later, not a single seat is empty when a T20 is played. And this was the first pink Test. I believe (that it will be a success) because I have played the game. I want these champion players should always play in front of the packed stadium,” said BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.
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