“England and Australia have Test calendar and we don’t” - Rahul Dravid on India’s ground reality

While the second Test between India and Bangladesh is expected to be a full-house with Sourav Ganguly’s desire to make it one of the most memorable Test matches of all-time, a lot of other factors that take people away from the game have taken a backseat. 

Barring Indore and Chinnaswamy, there are only a few stadiums which can claim to have a proper urinal facility with other basic amenities like car parking, water, and food at an affordable rate. Rahul Dravid was very critical of the lack of those facilities as Pink Ball Test seems like a hogwash in the absence of other important parameters.

"It is not the only solution to rejuvenate Test cricket, but it is one of the things we need to do. If we are able to control dew, the pink ball Test can become an annual feature in India. You make it tough for the bowlers when the ball gets wet and takes the swing away ... it (pink ball) is a novelty that will attract people to the stadium,” Dravid told Boria Majumdar during a lecture in Singapore, reported the Times of India.

"Basic things like toilets, seating, car parking need to be looked into, these are things that will draw fans. When we say there were 1,00,000 people at the Eden Gardens in 2001, we are missing the point. At that time, there was no HD television that could guarantee you a better experience at home, there was no cricket on mobile, and if you wanted to catch the action, you had to make it to the ground.”

Unlike Australia and England, India don’t have a legacy series or match for that matter, which means there is hardly anything for Indian cricket fans to connect with Test matches. The recent idea of five Test centre and fixed home season are still at its nascent stage and Dravid feels unless one starts having a full home season, it would never create a culture like Australia or England - two traditional Test-playing nation. 

"It is important we accept the ground reality. Yes, you can argue that the Ashes are always full and that Test cricket is in good health in England and Australia, but that's because they have a Test calendar and we don't. People can plan for a Boxing Day Test in December and a Lord's Test in July a year ahead. We need this to happen in Indian cricket,” the former Indian skipper added.