One day-night Test every series is important to bring crowd back, feels Sourav Ganguly
India gave the visitors Bangladesh a drubbing at the Eden
|BCCI
Citing the Eden Garden Test against Bangladesh as an example, Sourav Ganguly feels that playing one pink-ball Test every series is important to get people back to the stadiums. However, Ganguly was not too big a fan of the four-day Test, which he believes wonāt get results, unlike a five-day event.
Last year, the pink-ball Test between India and Bangladesh at Kolkata was truly a spectacle, attracting an audience of 3,50,000 people in the span of three days for the event. However, result wise, it spectacularly backfired as Bangladesh folded their opportunity, giving India a victory by an innings and 46 runs. Talking to Mayank Agarwal about the same, Sourav Ganguly admitted that is important to have one day-night Test every series, as he feels it is key to bring people back to the stadiums.Ā
Owing to work and other commitments in the day, Indiaās home Test season has seen a dry patch of an audience, with the matches that start in the day. However, when it comes to the ODIs and T20Is, which start later in the afternoon or in the evening, the crowds are in multiples, with a near full-capacity when the Men in Blue take the field.Ā
"I think day-night Test, one match in a series, is important because cricket needs everyone back. We played the pink-ball Test in Kolkata and I do not think it was a normal India-Bangladesh Test match," Ganguly told opening batsman Mayank Agarwal in a chat posted on the official website of BCCI.
"I hoped the match would have gone on for five days (but) in just three days, we managed to get 3,50,000 people into the ground," he added.
Despite supporting and making a case for the pink-ball Test, Ganguly expressed his opinion that Test cricket should never be reduced to a four-day event. The BCCI president clearly stated that having a four-day event will only reduce the chances of a result, with the teams taking a different stance.Ā
"I think innovation in every aspect of life is important (but) I am not a big fan of four-day Tests because I think a lot of matches would not finish then. You have five days, you approach it differently. I do not think there is any need to tinker with the Test format. For me, Test cricket is the best and toughest format," Ganguly said.
