IND v BAN 2019: Virat Kohli Will be Happy to See a Full Eden Gardens, Thinks Sourav Ganguly

The man behind India’s first-ever day-night Test and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has left no stone unturned to ensure the pink-ball Test will become successful. The game will be played in Kolkata from November 22-26 against Bangladesh. Although?Virat Kohli and company earlier didn’t agree to play the day-night Test a couple of years ago, the new BCCI boss didn?t take much time to convince Kohli this time.

However, Ganguly thinks the?five-day cricket “needed rejuvenation” to revive the interest of people in the game.?India’s last series against South Africa saw a poor turnout although the tickets of the first three days of the pink ball Test have already been sold out.

“That’s the way forward. Test cricket needed a rejuvenation,” Sourav Ganguly quoted as saying by PTI. “It happens all around the world. Somewhere it had to start. India is the biggest country in terms of cricket. I think that rejuvenation was important.”

During his stint as CAB president, Sourav Ganguly had successfully arranged an India-Pakistan World T20 clash in 2016 within a short period of time, after it was shifted from Dharamsala.

“The challenge was to get people back into the ground. An India-Pakistan match would anyways get filled anywhere in the world. You just announce it and the crowd will be filled,” the former India captain shared. “This was much more difficult and we managed to fill 65,000 on each of the first three days. It feels more satisfying.”

However, he said captain Virat Kohli would be happy to see a jam-packed Eden Gardens when they will take the field against Bangladesh.

“He is a great player and he should be playing in front of packed house. He will be happy to see it full house when he walks out to bat on day one. You will love the atmosphere at the Eden so come and watch,” he expressed.

Although the former India captain said it is challenging to arrange a day-night game.

”This was much more difficult and we managed to fill 65,000 on each of the first three days. It feels more satisfying. You can’t have greats of the Indian cricket play in front of empty stands. And here you will have full house for the first three days,” Ganguly concluded.