India vs South Africa: 36,000 plus crowd on Day 1 defines Eden Gardens’ aura as Test centre

Jasprit Bumrah acknowledges the crowd at Eden Gardens (BCCI Photo)

The build up was perfect. You could actually sense that there would be a sizeable crowd at the Eden Gardens for the first day of the Test match. But then it is one thing to expect something and to then see it actually happen. As I reached Eden at 8:10 am in the morning, an hour and twenty minutes before the start of play, I could sense the excitement. The entire stretch from Red road to Raj Bhavan was packed with traffic and the police was finding it difficult to keep things moving. They had made a corridor for green carpark stickers and you could sense that there was excitement in the air.

Flags were being sold, face paint was there for the ones interested, fours and sixes boards were being handed over and it was evident that Kolkata was getting ready to embrace the occasion. In fact, it does seem strange to think that Test cricket is actually coming back to the Eden Gardens after six long years and that Jasprit Bumrah has never actually played a Test at this hallowed fortress.

Also Read | 11 FOURS, 15 SIXES: Vaibhav Suryavanshi blasts 144 in 42 balls, bosses UAE bowlers in yet another spectacular show

Let me give you the Lord’s or MCG example. Do you think that there could actually be a season in the UK without Lord’s hosting a Test match? Or in Australia without the MCG or the SCG hosting a Test match? While it is understandable that the BCCI wants to take Test cricket to newer centers, it is also fair that they go to the conventional Test centers for the marquee matches in the future.

For the BGT for example, Kolkata, Wankhede, Chennai are centers that should be used.36,000 people on day one was a statement and the crowd is expected to be more on Saturday and Sunday. This is what India was missing for a while. We had packed stands for the IPL but very sparse crowds for Test cricket. It was a real pleasure to see Eden Gardens buck the trend on Day 1.

This is where the Cricket Association of Bengal deserves credit. They have priced tickets at 60 rupees to 250 rupees and these are real bare minimum prices to come and watch quality cricket on offer. A ticket to a film in a multiplex costs more than 200 rupees and if you add a popcorn to it, you are spending 400-500 rupees for the event. Here you are expected to pay 150 rupees for a very good seat for 6 hours of quality cricket. For all who can’t afford IPL tickets, this is your chance to visit the Eden Gardens. And watch some fantastic red ball action.

Also Read | FIDE World Cup: Heartbreak yes, but no reason to panic after D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa defeats

Every fan who was at Eden on Friday has gone home satisfied. They witnessed a Jasprit Bumrah classic and cheered for him at every instant. Boom Boom Bumrah was reverberating across the stadium and the fifer was the cherry on top. In front of a very sizeable crowd India’s premier fast bowler has made a mark in his very first Test match at the Eden Gardens.

I expect a 40,000 plus crowd on days 2 and 3. With India batting on Day 2, more so. It is this crowd that will define Eden Gardens and convince the BCCI that this is one centre that loves its Test cricket.