Bengaluru set to glow in pink

Chinnaswamy stadium to host Test after a gap of nearly four years

The Chinnaswamy Stadium, one of the favourite home venues for India for a variety of reasons, will add another feather to its illustrious cap come this Saturday when it hosts Sri Lanka in a day/night Test match.

This is the first international the city would be hosting in more than two years after the ODI against Australia on Jan 19, 2020, and the first Test in nearly four years after it held Afghanistan's first ever red-ball game in June 2018.

The venue will now become the third ground in the country after the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to host a pink-ball Test, a concept which players were initially wary of but have now embraced with open arms as the game’s traditional format seeks innovation to keep audiences glued and excited.

Bengalureans have always loved their cricket irrespective of the format and it was evident when fans queued up in large numbers last Sunday to pick up tickets. The photo of a senior citizen fainting while standing in the queue before being helped into an autorickshaw by police personnel went viral, showing how deep the love for the game is across all age categories in the city.

KSCA secretary Santosh Menon was thrilled at the turnout and is expecting a full house. "Bengaluru has always been a cricket-loving city, traditionally. Every match, whether it's a Test match or ODI or a T20, people have thronged the stadium because they loved the game. Also, Karnataka is iconic in terms of players who have represented the state," he told DH.

"So, the culture of cricket has developed from that perspective. If you see from (BS) Chandrasekar to (EAS) Prasanna to the latest KL Rahul, even Anil Kumble… so, when you have icons in the state, the culture also builds. Based on that, there’s a huge cricketing culture in the city. So, we are not surprised we will be having a full house. Also, the fact that it’s a pink-ball Test, a day/night affair for the first time here, a weekend, has added to the allure."

The Test against Sri Lanka will mark the international debut of the new floodlight system that was installed last year to enhance the television experience. The new unipole system replaced the old lattice structure, which was installed in 1995. The India vs Sri Lanka game will be the 27th Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Long practice

The Indian team had a long practice session under floodlights as they sharpened their skills in all departments. After a modified version of handball, they hit the nets and the players tried to get a feel for the pink ball. Axar Patel, who joined the team for the second Test, had a long bowling session, which indicates that he could replace Jayant Yadav in the match if India choose to play three spinners.

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