M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore will be open for crowds of 100% capacity for the pink-ball D/N Test between India and Sri Lanka, starting March 12. The fixture, only India’s third D/N Test at home and the city’s adopted son Virat Kohli’s 101st Test match, can have a full capacity crowd cheering from the stands.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association had earlier green signalled only 50% crowds for the Test match, but that has been revoked following timely government advisory in the state. The KSCA was settling for half a crowd for the Test match – their first Test since the pandemic started – but the diminishing number of positive cases and rising demand for tickets pushed them into seeking a change in stance from the Karnataka government.
Vinay Mrithyunjaya, KSCA’s treasurer, told ESPNcricinfo nearly 10,000 tickets open to the general public have been already sold for the first two days of the Test match. KSCA has also thrown open additional tickets to cope with the rising demand, besides disclosing gates for the full capacity crowd.
“Considering the high volume of response and since there are no further restrictions for spectators, KSCA will be opening up sale of tickets for full capacity of the stadium,”
KSCA stated in a media release ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
Bangalore will host its first Test since the summer of 2018, when the ground saw Afghanistan play their historic inaugural fixture in the traditional format against the Indians. The one-sided two-day Test match was won with an innings margin by the hosts, who were missing the then regular skipper Kohli as he was rested.
Virat was initially due to play his 100th Test match played in Mohali last week in Bangalore. But the ground lost the much-anticipated fixture after a reshuffling of the tour itinerary for Sri Lanka due to the super quick turnaround from the away T20Is versus Australia to the India visit.
Playing the second Test in Bangalore also facilitates Sri Lanka’s direct flight back to Colombo with the completion of their short visit, featuring three T20Is and two Tests. Reports are that the neighbouring rivals will return to Indian shores in December for a five-match ODI series in the build-up to the 50-over World Cup in October-November 2023.
The Bangalore Test will be India’s third in the pink-ball D/N version at home and their fourth such game overall. The Men in Blue hosted their first D/N Test back in November 2019 against Bangladesh, winning by an innings and 46 runs. Coincidentally, it was also the most recent international game where Kohli scored a hundred.
One year later, India lost their maiden away outing in D/N Test format to Australia in Adelaide after the infamous 36 all out in the second innings. But the team made amends a month later by winning against England in Ahmedabad by 10 wickets in a low-scoring fixture played on a dry turner.
In that Test match, left-arm spinner Axar Patel proved to be the most lethal prospect for the opposition, taking 11 wickets in the game. His indecipherable mix of arm balls had their impact accentuated by the ever-glossier and skiddy pink-ball, which gave batters no time to make late adjustments.
He is also the only change in India’s squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka, replacing wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, whom the team management released two days back. Axar will be making a comeback after going down with a side strain in November, playing the second Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.
