KOLKATA, Nov 21, 2019 (BSS)-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.