KOLKATA: Tickets for the first four days of India’s first Day/Night Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata have been sold out, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has confirmed.
“It’s sold out and I’m extremely happy (about it),” PTI quotes Ganguly as having said here Tuesday, after unveiling ‘Pinku-Tinku’, the event’s official mascots. India play their first Day/Night Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata from Friday, November 22.
The Eden Gardens, one of the biggest stadiums in India, has a capacity of 67,000.
Asked for how many days it was sold out, Ganguly informed four. Makes eminent sense seeing as how Virat Kohli’s all-conquering team has been blowing away the opposition with not a single Test played in India this season going the full distance. That the first Test of this ongoing series was done and dusted well inside three days bears testimony to that fact.
The countdown of the historic Test began here Sunday with the City of Joy turning pink, PTI reports.
The historic match will kickstart with Army paratroopers flying into the Eden Gardens to hand over a pink ball each to the two captains just before the toss, according to the newswire.
This will be followed by the ringing of the customary Eden Bell by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
Then at the 20-minute tea break, former captains and the galaxy of sport stars from other disciplines will be taken out on carts making a round of the ground along the boundary lines.
During the 40-minute supper break, CAB has organised a talk show featuring the ‘Fabulous Five’ of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman who reminisce on the epic 2001 Test win against Australia at this historic ground.
The CAB will also felicitate a galaxy of Indian sports stars including Tendulkar, Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, tennis star Sania Mirza, world badminton champion PV Sindhu and six-time boxing world champion MC Mary Kom, among others.
Specially designed mementos will be given to the dignitaries while they will also make round of the stadium aboard golf carts, CAB secretary Avishek Dalmiya told PTI.
The CAB will also felicitate the team members of Bangladesh-India first-ever Test in 2000, a game where Ganguly made his debut as Test captain.
