IND vs BAN: Timings of day-night Test in Kolkata revealed!

The iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata will soon witness history as India will play its first-ever day-night Test against Bangladesh. The match is scheduled to take place between 22nd to 26th November. Despite the palpable excitement, the timings of the match have been shrouded in mystery. There were speculations that the match would have to be started earlier than anticipated, to counter the dew factor in the winter season in Kolkata.

In order to have the best of both worlds, the BCCI has finally decided to schedule the start of the Test match by 1 pm. The aim is to conclude the match by 8 pm so that dew doesn’t become a major factor and hamper the bowling side during the evening session. The first break will also be a traditional 40-minute one compared to the 20-minute pattern followed in day-night Test encounters.

Confirming the timings, a BCCI official told IANS:

“Keeping in mind the dew factor, the BCCI approved CAB’s request to change the playing hours in the second Test. While play will start at 1 p.m., the first session will end at 3 p.m. The second session will start from 3:40 pm and continue till 5:40 p.m. The final session will be played from 6 pm till 8 pm.”

Cricket Association Bengal curator Sujan Mukherjee had earlier stated that dew would not be an issue before 8.30 pm.

“The dew factor comes into play mostly after 8-8:30 pm as we have seen in a white-ball game this time of the year at Eden. Therefore, I don’t think dew will be a problem. We also have arrangements to tackle dew issues like treatment sprays and all that.”

A big hit

The concept of a day-night Test has already been a big hit amongst the masses. If CAB is to be believed, they have sold over 50,000 tickets for the first three days of the match.

More than 50,000 people to witness India's first #PinkBall D/N Test at #EdenGardens each day for first three days as demand for tickets shoot through the roof. #BetheChange @SGanguly99 @BCCI#IndvBanTest

— CABCricket (@CabCricket) November 9, 2019

With such big hype, the decision to host a day-night Test is already proving to be a masterstroke.