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Chhattisgarh – a pocket more known for Maoist-strikes – will witness a dose of high-pitched hockey action as the state gears up to host the India-Australia three Test hockey series beginning November 19. The three-Test series is being organised by Hockey Chhattisgarh in close coordination with the Chhattisgarh government.
Both the state government as well as the state hockey body are according finishing touches to their preparations for the much-hyped three-Test series between the hosts and world champions. “We are all looking forward to the India-Australia three-Test series. Both teams have arrived here. The Chhattisgarh government has offered unstinted support in making this series a huge success. The Australians are staying at The Taj Gateway while the Indian team are staying at the Hyatt,” says Hockey Chhattisgarh secretary Firoz Ansari.
India have fond memories of winning the first-ever Test against Australia in their own backyard in November 2014. The team had won the four-Test series 3-1 after having lost the opening Test match tamely. The first Test will be played at Rajnandgaon on November 19 and after a rest of three days both teams will battle it out in back-to-back Test matches at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Stadium in Raipur on November 22 and 23 respectively. “The first Test will start at 3 pm at Rajnandgaon, while the second and third Test matches will start at 6:30 pm at Raipur,” Ansari informs.
There is a great deal of excitement about the Raipur synthetic turf, which was put in place in record time so that it could host the three-Test series as well as the Hockey World League Final Round. “The Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Stadium in Raipur has a seating capacity for 4,500-5,000 spectators and was built in just four months. The floodlights that will be used for the second and third Test matches were installed recently. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh has already announced that a life statue of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel will be erected at the entrance of the Stadium,” Ansari apprises.
Let’s hope that the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Stadium in Raipur, which was built at an estimated cost of Rs 18 crore, will prove to be lucky charm for the Blueshirts.
