BSS, Kolkata :
Amid huge enthusiasm and fanfare, the maiden day-night Test between Bangladesh and India rolled onto the ground at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.
Those two countries, which had reservation to play pink ball Test earlier, entered into the territory which was earlier unearthed by eight countries.
Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque won the toss and with huge smile on his face, he opted to bat first. And the value of winning the toss was later expressed by India captain Virat Kohli also, who said he would love to bat first.
But toss and the second Test, which Bangladesh is playing to draw the series following their innings and 130-run defeat in the Indore Test, was the secondary subject on a day when the whole Kolkata, the ‘City of Joy’ had gone for pink.
Unlike the other times, the whole stadium was jam-packed as all wants to be the part of the history. Tickets for the first three days were completely sold out. Still the people are getting tickets but for that they had to pay huge price. In Kolkata Rs 50 ticket was sold out Rs 700, a testament of huge hype of the pink ball. In history the Test cricket probably doesn’t see that the mass people had to buy tickets from black market.
“I was searching for tickets for the last five days but tickets were not anywhere. However with lot of hardship, I managed to buy just a ticket last night with the price of Rs700, where the original price was Rs50,” Shuvendo Roy, a taxi driver, staying here in Kolkata said.
At least in India, the ICC’s vision to make the Test cricket popular, introducing day-night Test, seemed to be successful.
“This is pink ball yaar, all the city had gone for pink. Look everywhere it is pink,” Roy added.
Kolkata had different places colored in pink as that seems to be the color of the day while the 22 storied TATA building and another 42-storied building had 3-D mapping.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who made unwilling India to be willing for pink ball Test, made everything possible to mark the occasion a memorable one as he took number of steps.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ganguly invited the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to watch the game and thereby enhanced the significance of the Test more than any other time. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also invited. The top officials of Bangladesh Government and Indian Government also graced the historic occasion.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) facilitated the team members of Bangladesh-India first ever Test in 2000, a game where Ganguly made his debut as Test captain.
Apart from Bangladesh’s inaugural Test centurion Aminul Islam Bulbul and Al Shahriar Rokon, all of the members were present. Bulbul, who is living in Australia and Rokon, residing in New Zealand couldn’t attend the grand occasion due to visa complicacy.
The likes of great like Sachin Tendulkar and some other members of team India who played that match was also present.
After the toss, the national anthem of the both teams were played before Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee rung the customary Eden bell to kick-off the Test.
Amid huge enthusiasm and fanfare, the maiden day-night Test between Bangladesh and India rolled onto the ground at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.
Those two countries, which had reservation to play pink ball Test earlier, entered into the territory which was earlier unearthed by eight countries.
Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque won the toss and with huge smile on his face, he opted to bat first. And the value of winning the toss was later expressed by India captain Virat Kohli also, who said he would love to bat first.
But toss and the second Test, which Bangladesh is playing to draw the series following their innings and 130-run defeat in the Indore Test, was the secondary subject on a day when the whole Kolkata, the ‘City of Joy’ had gone for pink.
Unlike the other times, the whole stadium was jam-packed as all wants to be the part of the history. Tickets for the first three days were completely sold out. Still the people are getting tickets but for that they had to pay huge price. In Kolkata Rs 50 ticket was sold out Rs 700, a testament of huge hype of the pink ball. In history the Test cricket probably doesn’t see that the mass people had to buy tickets from black market.
“I was searching for tickets for the last five days but tickets were not anywhere. However with lot of hardship, I managed to buy just a ticket last night with the price of Rs700, where the original price was Rs50,” Shuvendo Roy, a taxi driver, staying here in Kolkata said.
At least in India, the ICC’s vision to make the Test cricket popular, introducing day-night Test, seemed to be successful.
“This is pink ball yaar, all the city had gone for pink. Look everywhere it is pink,” Roy added.
Kolkata had different places colored in pink as that seems to be the color of the day while the 22 storied TATA building and another 42-storied building had 3-D mapping.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who made unwilling India to be willing for pink ball Test, made everything possible to mark the occasion a memorable one as he took number of steps.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ganguly invited the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to watch the game and thereby enhanced the significance of the Test more than any other time. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also invited. The top officials of Bangladesh Government and Indian Government also graced the historic occasion.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) facilitated the team members of Bangladesh-India first ever Test in 2000, a game where Ganguly made his debut as Test captain.
Apart from Bangladesh’s inaugural Test centurion Aminul Islam Bulbul and Al Shahriar Rokon, all of the members were present. Bulbul, who is living in Australia and Rokon, residing in New Zealand couldn’t attend the grand occasion due to visa complicacy.
The likes of great like Sachin Tendulkar and some other members of team India who played that match was also present.
After the toss, the national anthem of the both teams were played before Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee rung the customary Eden bell to kick-off the Test.
