Pink ball Test India: Sourav Ganguly confirms sellout crowd for first four days in Kolkata

As India and Bangladesh get ready to play their first-ever Day-Night Test, it has been confirmed that tickets for the first four days of the five-day affair have already been sold out. According to a report by a leading Indian media daily on November 19, it was Ganguly himself who confirmed the news. India and Bangladesh will play the historic pink-ball test from Friday, November 22.

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Sourav Ganguly expresses joy at fans' response to pink-ball Test match

Ganguly and the BCCI can heave a huge sigh of relief as the 67000-seater Eden Gardens is now guaranteed to be packed for almost the entire game. The match will begin on Friday, November 22 at 1:00 PM IST. The event is turning more grandiose by the day as the entire stadium is planned to go pink on the day of the game. The BCCI President also confirmed that important city landmarks will also sport the same colour on the day of the match.

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The players have been training hard to prepare themselves for the match by practising with the pink ball, more so under the lights. It has also been reported that HIV+ kids will be escorting the players onto the field from the pavilion. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be sounding the iconic bell at the Gardens.

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A move to rejuvenate cricket in India

In an interview with a cricket portal, Ganguly talked about why he pushed for the pink ball Test to happen. According to Ganguly, accepting and adopting the innovation is important for Test cricket to survive and the idea behind the move was to 'rejuvenate' the oldest format of the game in India. The South Africa Tests barely entertained crowds and the matches needed to be more accessible in order to attract more fans. With the first four days being sold out, it is very evident that Ganguly and the BCCI's vision is set to bear fruit soon.

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