“Some stadium this is” - England cricketers bowled over by magnificent Motera
Not just Indian cricketers but their England counterparts too are highly impressed by the grandeur of Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, which will host the pink-ball Test from February 24.
Overseas cricketers praising facilities at Indian cricket stadiums is something of an unheard phenomenon. But the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest cricket stadium in the world, appears to be an exception.
Ever since arriving at the Motera, England cricketers have been sharing pictures and videos of the stadium. Cricketers from both sides seem to be blown away by the magnificence of the venue and the facilities on offer.
Veteran England pace bowler Stuart Broad shared a walk-through video of the stadium, giving fans a closer view of Motera, with Vande Mataram playing in the background. Broad shared the video with the caption:
“1st look at Cricket’s largest stadium. 110,000 capacity. Pretty impressive.”
England Cricket’s official Twitter account posted another video of bowlers doing some running practice at the Motera Stadium. The video was shared with the caption:
“Some hard yards for our quicks in Ahmedabad.”
Reacting to the video, England all-rounder Ben Stokes commented:
“Some stadium this is......and a bit of local music to help get through to the end.”
Not just current cricketers, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen too was overwhelmed by a glimpse of the Motera, and described it as ‘A Theatre of Dreams’. His caption says it all:
“My goodness! How spectacular does this stadium look for the next Test match in Ahmedabad! 110K capacity. A Theatre Of Dreams!”
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya also shared a selfie from one of the stands at the Motera, describing the feeling of being at the world’s largest cricket stadium as surreal.
Motera Stadium: Some stunning facts
The old Motera Stadium was demolished in 2016 to build a new one with a larger seating capacity and state-of-the-art facilities. The rebuild Motera has a seating capacity of 110,000.
Not only is it the largest cricket stadium in the world, but it is also the second-largest sports ground. The Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, is the world’s largest stadium, with a seating capacity of 114,000.
Apart from four dressing rooms, the stadium complex houses an in-built gymnasium with the latest facilities. LED lights have been installed on the entire circular roof for better visibility and to eliminate shadows.
Spread over 63 acres, the Motera Stadium also has 6 indoor pitches with bowling machines.
The two India-England Tests to be played at Motera will have 50 percent crowd attendance.