Shamik Chakrabarty in Kanpur
The auto driver ferrying this correspondent from the airport to the hotel wore a smile and spoke about buying a Rs 600 ticket for the second India-Bangladesh Test. He lamented that lower categories (Rs 200, 300 and 400 per day) were sold out. He still paid the extra bucks, for he loves Test cricket and Kanpur is hosting one after a gap of three years.
At the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) office, state association secretary Arvind Kumar Shrivastava, too, was talking about the elongated hiatus. “We weren’t given any international cricket for three years and it had a negative effect,” he told RevSportz. “We had domestic matches, but without international games, the whole set-up, from outfield to drainage and everything, went awry. We had to refurbish the whole thing.”
The renovation project was expensive. “We spent Rs 3 crore for refurbishment,” he said. “We had to start almost from scratch and now everything is first-class. We are looking forward to hosting a successful Test match.”
Some of those Rs 3-crore have been recouped through ticket sales. “The response so far has been excellent,” said Shrivastava. “The stadium has a capacity of 26,000 and we expect good turnouts on all matchdays.”
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🚨 Two pitches have been prepared at Green Park for the second Test between India and Bangladesh. One is spin-friendly and the other will assist the seamers. The Indian team will choose.@rohitjuglan & @shamik100 discuss.@ThumsUpOfficial @BCCI #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/Hxk9wR06rN
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) September 24, 2024
Kanpur is a traditional Test centre. It is where Jasu Patel took 9/69 against Richie Benaud’s Australia in 1958-59. It is the venue that hosted India’s 500th Test in 2016. Even the last Test here, against New Zealand in November 2021, was a cliffhanger. Debutant Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel thwarted the hosts on Day 5 to eke out a draw. It was incredible defiance from New Zealand’s last-wicket pair. From India’s point of view, the pitch didn’t crumble the way they expected.
Two pitches are being kept ready for the second Test that starts on Friday. It’s up to the Indian team management to decide which one they want to use.
Shrivastava said that one pitch was seamer-friendly, while the other one is likely to assist the spinners. India played on a hard red-soil pitch in the first Test in Chennai and the fast bowlers made short work of Najmul Hossain Shanto & Co in the first innings to set up a 280-run victory.
Will India stick to the template at Green Park? Or will local boy Kuldeep Yadav be brought in, at the expense of a seamer? If two seamers are played, will it be Mohammed Siraj or Akash Deep to partner Jasprit Bumrah? The next couple of practice sessions should provide an answer.
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