BCCI has big plans for historic D/N Test: Details here
What's the story
The first-ever Day-Night Test in India would witness Men In Blue and Bangladesh locking horns at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata from Friday.
In order to make the historic Test memorable, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), along with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), would be arranging numerous activities during the Test.
Here's more.
Paratroopers
Army paratroopers to fly into the ground
According to a report by IANS, Army paratroopers would be flying into the ground on the opening day of the match to hand both the captains the pink ball.
Two mascots, Pinku and Tinku, have already been introduced. These would be interacting with the kids in the build-up to the match.
Also, a giant pink balloon would be placed near the stadium.
Pink city!
Kolkata city to turn pink ahead of the Test
Meanwhile, there would also be activities in and around the city of Kolkata in the build-up to the match.
The Shaheed Minar at Esplanade, along with some parks of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), and The Measurers Club, would be illuminated in the pink light.
Also, the Tata Steel building at Jawaharlal Nehru Road would be 3D mapped from November 20.
Other activities
All roads would be leading to Eden Gardens
Among other activities, a launch boat, with pink illumination, has been plying between Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu. It would continue to do so until the final day of the match.
Further, there would billboards aplenty around the city, along with six LED boards and branded buses, in order to increase awareness and create hype among fans.
Indians train
Indians continue to train with pink ball in Indore
The Indians put in a commendable shift in Indore. Notably, they also trained in the nets with the pink ball.
Following an early finish to the Test, the Indians continued to do so even on Day 4.
This has helped them get accustomed to the new format and get set for the D/N Test, which would be a first-time affair for both sides.
Twitter Post
Team India getting ready for pink-ball Test
Getting ready for the Pink ball Test be like 😍😎 #TeamIndia #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/BtwfEwFKwN
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 17, 2019
Day-Night Test
11 Day-Night Tests have been played so far
As far as Day-Night Tests are concerned, the format was introduced in November 2015. The first D/N Test was played between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide.
Since then, a total of 11 Tests have been played, with Australia playing five of them.
Besides India and Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Ireland are the only nations that are yet to play it.