This article originally appeared in The Field’s newsletter, Game Points, on September 25, 2024. Sign up here to get the newsletter directly delivered to your inbox every week.
India pulled off one of the best wins in men’s Test cricket history on Tuesday after beating Bangladesh by seven wickets in Kanpur.
India restricted Bangladesh to 233 in the first innings. They then scored 285 runs in just 34.4 overs to open up a 52-run lead before dismissing the visitors for 146 in the second innings. India needed just 17.2 overs to get past the target of 95 runs.
India scored 383 runs across both innings at a stunning run rate of 7.36 runs per over, a scoring rate generally seen in white ball cricket. What made the victory special was that it was achieved despite rain and a wet outfield making play possible for only two and a half of the five days.
For Test cricket, these numbers were staggering. But this was an aggressive performance that was required to get a win given the shortened length of the match.
India were clinical in the execution of their strategy which gave them no room for error. Crucially, what would have been a draw and shared points in the World Test Championship standings, was turned into an outright win by a bold strategy call.
Which brings us to the heart of the matter. India’s win not only kept them on course to reach another World Test Championship final, but it also saved the blushes for the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
One cannot hold the BCCI accountable for rain affecting play. But the richest cricket board in the world should be held accountable for not having the best facilities in place to deal with the aftermath of rain.
Consider the fact that Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, the venue for the match, did not receive any rain on Day 3 but play was still called off as the outfield was wet and not conducive to play. With all the innovations that has come in the sport over the past two decades, one of the richest sports body in the world still needs a day to make conditions fit to play.
Two questions need to be answered by the BCCI. Why was Green Park chosen to host an international Test match in the first place despite not being equipped with world class facilities? Why is Green Park Stadium ill-equipped to deal with rain?
Sri Lanka, who often host series during peak monsoon season, have one of the best systems in place to deal with rain interruptions. The entire field is covered when it rains which enables a quick restart of play once the rain stops.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru boasts of a subsurface aeration system which draws out water from the field even as it rains. This, along with a sand-based outfield allows play to restart minutes after the rain ends.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association spent Rs 4.5 crore in 2017 to upgrade its drainage system. After inflation is taken into account, it should not cost the BCCI more than Rs 200 crores to upgrade the 30-odd international cricket stadiums across the country.
After all, Rs 200 crores is just a fraction of the Rs 5,963 crores the BCCI received from Viacom 18 for the broadcasting rights for domestic and international matches in India.
Over the years, the BCCI has moved away from its traditional bases like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi and has hosted more matches in tier 2 and 3 cities thereby giving fans across the country the opportunity to watch their favourite stars live.
However, the pace of modernising the facilities is yet to match the pace of the sport’s ever growing popularity in the country. Take the case of Patna’s Moin-ul-Haq stadium. The stadium, which was built in 1969, was in the news for all the wrong reasons in January when it hosted the Ranji Trophy match between Bihar and Mumbai.
The stadium’s dilapidated state shook the state government and the BCCI from its stupor. In March, the BCCI approved the Bihar Cricket Association’s plans for redeveloping the stadium and making it into a state of the art cricket academy.
The farce that was the Kanpur Test should serve as yet another wake up call for the BCCI. Cricket is getting modern. So should its facilities.
