Cricket fans have questioned the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to host the first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, as thousands of seats remained empty on Thursday in Ahmedabad. The visitors suffered a poor start, losing half their batting line-up by lunch. West Indies were reduced to 144 for 7 after winning the toss and electing to bat. Mohammed Siraj was the standout bowler, taking four for 34 in 11 overs, while Jasprit Bumrah (1/34), Kuldeep Yadav (1/25) and Sundar (1/7) claimed a wicket each.
However, the empty stands have sparked debate among fans over venue selection. “If we had to play a lower tier team, we should have ideally played them in a stadium that people want to watch Test cricket. Virat’s suggestion of having fixed Test venues should be looked at. Ahmedabad is the country’s biggest stadium, and to host a lower tier team at such a big ground makes it look empty. Ahmedabad is good for T20 marquee contests, not for Tests-even against a marquee team. Tests should be played with a view of tourism and ease of connectivity. Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Delhi, Dharamsala and Vizag can be your fixed Test centres,” one of the cricket fans wrote on X.
The BCCI has used as many as 18 venues for Tests in the 21st century, but opinions remain divided on whether the purest format should be restricted to fewer centres. Virat Kohli has backed the idea of limiting the number of Test venues in 2019. “We should have five Test centres, period. I agree state associations and rotation and giving games and all that is fine for T20 and one-day cricket, but Test cricket-teams coming to India should know, ‘we’re going to play at these five centres, these are the pitches we’re going to expect, these are the kind of people that will come to watch’,” Kohli had said.
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It is an unwritten rotation policy that the BCCI follows when allocating fixtures for various bilateral series, aimed at keeping state associations satisfied. Alongside this rotation, weather conditions also play a key role in deciding venues for home matches. In comparison, countries like England and Australia have restricted their Test matches to just nine and ten venues respectively in the 21st century.
Talking about the match, Mohammed Siraj struck early, dismissing Tagenarine Chanderpaul for an 11-ball duck, and consistently troubled the batters with his swing and disciplined length. Jasprit Bumrah found his rhythm a little later, removing opener John Campbell for eight in the seventh over.
India, led by Shubman Gill on home soil for the first time, ushered in a new chapter in the team’s history. This match also marked the first home Test in 15 years without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin in the playing XI.
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