Ind vs SA 3rd Test: JSCA disappointed with ticket sales in Ranchi

The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) said on Friday that it will think twice before hosting a Test match next time after only 1500 tickets were sold for the third test between India and South Africa which will begin on Saturday, October 19. The stadium has a capacity 39,000, making this development a complete shocker.

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The JSCA had also kept ticket prices as low as Rs 250 per day so that watching the match in the stadium would be an attractive proposition for the general public. Additionally, they had also opened five ticket counters at the stadium, but not many people have bought tickets across the five days of the match. At Pune, India achieved a record 11th consecutive Test series win at home. However, that match also did not have a high turnout. With low sales in Ranchi till Thursday, the situation looks the same as Pune despite the fact that the JSCA has distributed 5,000 free tickets to CRPF jawans and another 10,000 tickets to school children in various districts

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The JSCA President's concern

The new JSCA President, Nafis Khan, told a leading media broadcaster that Ranchi will find it difficult to host a Test match in the future due to low ticket sales. However, Khan added that Ranchi is in a Catch-22 situation as they cannot reject hosting any form of international matches either as it would not be good for the future of Test cricket, especially in India. It is worth nothing that the JSCA had received Rs 1 crore from the BCCI for hosting the Test in Ranchi so that they do not incur a loss.

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However, at the next BCCI general body meeting, Khan is expected to raise the issue. It seems that the only person to convince the JSCA to host another Test match in the future is none other than the BCCI President-elect Sourav Ganguly, who is tremendously in favour of Day-Night Test cricket taking place in India.

Ganguly had recently said that Tests with the pink ball played under lights is the best way to keep the health of Test cricket intact as matches are being played in front of empty stands.

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