Indore to host first Test match after 26 years
India host New Zealand in a three match test series in October 2016 and the first match of the series will be held in Indore, which will be holding a test match after an interval of 26 years. The subsequent matches will be held at Kanpur and Kolkata.
Indore’s Holkar Stadium will be hosting the match, the first of its kind in the city. Indore is one of five other cities which will be making their test match debut in the 2016-2017 cricket season. Pune, Ranchi, Dharamsala, Vizag and Rajkot along with Indore constitute the six debutant cities.
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This development is a milestone for the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) and the credit for this success is being given to MPCA president, Sanjay Jagdale.
Jagdale, who has represented the Madhya Pradesh Ranji team and served as a national selector said, “It's a dream come true for all of us. We are proud of this city which has produced India's first Test captain (CK Nayudu) and the country's first overseas Test centurion (Mushtaq Ali) and of course Hirwani, who claimed a record 16 wickets on Test debut,”
The current MPCA president has also had stints as India team manager and BCCI secretary. Being a big fan of test cricket, he added, “For a big fan of Test cricket like me, this is a memorable moment.”
Sandeep Patil, who captained and coached the Madhya Pradesh team through the 1980’s and the early 1990’s was excited by the prospect of Indore hosting a test match. He said, “I am very happy for all the guys who have served cricket there and especially Jagdale. I have very fond memories of Indore.
Expecting a great response from the locals, he added, “I started my 'second innings' there and I am sure the stadium will be packed for the Test. When the Challenger Series was held there a few years ago, around 10,000 people were outside the filled stadium.”
Narendra Hirwani, a Madhya Pradesh cricketer who took 16 wickets on his debut for India and is now the MPCA vice-president also applauded Sanjay Jagdale’s efforts saying,” “There is no better cricketing honour for this city than getting a Test. I hail the efforts of Jagdale sir and MPCA. Filling the ground by their presence would be the ultimate tribute the citizens could pay to this great cricketing city,”
India are set to host 13 test matches in this cricketing season along with eight ODI’S.