Days and nights at Eden Gardens
India will take its pink-ball plunge in the second game of the two-match Test series, starting on November 22, after Bangladesh gave the green signal
NEWDELHI/KOLKATA: Reluctance to change is nothing new when it comes to the Indian cricket Board, but once it makes up its mind to embrace paths less travelled, it has also hit the fast forward button. It is perhaps a coincidence that Sourav Ganguly was India skipper when BCCI, after much consideration, took the plunge and played in the World T20 in 2007 and sent a young team under MS Dhoni. It triggered a global revolution in the shortest format.
On Tuesday, Ganguly, barely a week old into the BCCI presidency, put the seal on one of his big priorities by announcing that India will stage its first day-night Test next month. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) acknowledged the former India skipper’s role while agreeing to play the second Test at the Eden Gardens, starting on Nov 22, with the pinkball.
Ganguly had been a strong advocate of the day-night game to improve the health of Test cricket. The Indian team management had not agreed to play a daynighter at home or away as they felt the team wasn’t prepared. However, once Ganguly got skipper Virat Kohli to agree in his meeting a day after taking charge of BCCI, the move quickly gathered momentum.
“I’m pleased to announce that our long-term partner BCB has graciously agreed to play a daynight Test. This is the beginning of something special in Indian cricket. It is a priority for the newly elected office- bearers and members of apex council to take Indian cricket forward. For me, as former captain of India and as president of BCCI, Test cricket is of utmost priority and we at BCCI will leave no stone unturned to bring this format back to its feet,” Ganguly said in a BCCI statement on Tuesday.
“Day-night Test is a huge step forward and we believe it will bring back the crowd into stadiums and a whole lot of young children to the sport …. I also thanks India captain Virat Kohli for his cooperation,” he added.
The first day-night Test was played between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide in November, 2015. Former skipper
Rahul Dravid, how head of NCA, gave his approval after playing in an Icc-organised invitational game in the UAE around that time. However, the Indian team has held back.
Eden Gardens hosted India’s first pink-ball game in the Bengal Super League in June, 2016 and Ganguly, as Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president had hoped it would lead to a day-night Test. But a day-night Duleep Trophy too was changed to a red-ball game after one edition. On Tuesday,
Ganguly addressed concernes about the quality of the pink ball, dew at the Eden in November and whether players will be prepared.
“Things change like this. It’s a great start for Test cricket in the subcontinent. Our intentions have been good. It’s going to be no problem at all. Everything will be fine, don’t worry,” he told PTI. “We will make sure there’s no dew. After all, day-night one-dayers are played here (at Eden Gardens). There’s this dew treatment spray and all.”
Ganguly also said BCCI will persist with the home-made ‘SG Test’ pink balls instead of Dukes (UK made) or Kookaburra (from Australia).
“Hopefully Sg...because the first match (Indore Test) will be with SG, so the second Test will also have to be with SG,” he told PTI.
New BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, said: “It is a great day for Indian cricket… Sourav, me and our team had an idea of revolutionising 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 BCB for accepting our request on such a short notice.”
BCB president, Nazmul Hassan, busy sorting out a player protest in the last few weeks, held a few rounds of discussions with them before informing BCCI that the team would be ready to play a day-night game in Kolkata, which would also be witnessed by Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.
“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 Ganguly as BCCI president …. 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,” Hassan said in the BCCI statement.
Bangladesh South African coach Russell Domingo acknowledged the team’s concerns. “We think it’s a great opportunity. India hasn’t played a pink ball Test (either). It’s a massive occasion at Eden Gardens against one of the best teams in the world,” PTI quoted him as saying. “There are some challenges as we will not have a lot of time to prepare but it’s the same for India. Since it is pink ball, both teams will be close to each other.”
CAB will have three weeks to get Eden Gardens ready and its secretary Avishek Dalmiya promised it would be a grand show. “The presence of dignitaries and distinguished guests, cultural shows and felicitation of former players would add to the grandeur of the event,” he said.
India is the only major Test nation not to have played a pinkball match.