Almost immediately after Sourav Ganguly was put in the position of the BCCI’s President, he pushed for India to play a Day/Night Test against Bangladesh. The neighbouring country obliged and we saw the future of Test cricket shine bright amidst years of falling ratings and attendance numbers.
Ganguly has ensured that the occasion of the first ever Day/Night Test in India, which will be played at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, will be one to remember.
CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) Secretary Avishek Dalmiya had already echoed the sentiment of the Test being historic and later said that they will leave no stone unturned for the preparations of the match. As a result, there are a lot of non-cricketing attractions for the live audience and fans watching from across the country.
B'desh PM Hasina to Attend
On Day 1, we will see Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ring the ‘Eden Bell’ along with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They won’t be alone, as a litany of sporting stars will be present for the historic match.
Badminton world champion P.V. Sindhu, chess ace Viswanathan Anand and tennis sensation Sania Mirza are among those to be present. Even actress Rani Mukherji will show up to support the historic match.
The match will have a grand start, as paratroopers are expected to fly into Eden to hand a pink ball each to captains Virat Kohli and Mominul Haque just before the toss.
Tea Break
During the first 20-minute tea break, former Indian captains and an assortment of sports stars will be taken out on carts as they make rounds alongside the boundary line.
Legends’ Talk at Dinner Break
During the 40-minute dinner break, CAB has organised a talk show featuring the 'Fabulous Five' of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and V.V.S. Laxman who will talk about the historic 2001 Test win against Australia at the Eden.
Olympic Stars to be Felicitated
The CAB will also felicitate sports stars including Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, tennis star Sania Mirza, world badminton champion PV Sindhu and six-time boxing world champion MC Mary Kom among others.
This felicitation will also include the first Test team of Bangladesh which took on India in 2000, a game where Ganguly made his debut as Test captain.
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