Why BCCI should host more day-night test matches

While India hosts its first day-night test match, the most exciting part about this 'beginning of something special' will be the commercial benefits that it will bring into the game and Test Cricket in specific.

1) Advertisement of the game: As soon as the decision was announced, it flocked the billion hearts of a cricket-crazy nation in ecstasy, with a prospect of an exciting concept awaiting to be experienced. No denying, of course, that the media, broadcasters, and advertisers are fancying this sight, and eyeing the game as a spectacle of history.

2) Evolution of the game: While many think the behavior of dew-covered grounds and pink balls will be new for the players, but, there is every possibility that this move might turn out to be a big revolution in the gentlemen’s game. This will be a nice experimentation towards making test matches more glorious in the radiance of night lights.

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3) Increase in the number of spectators and wider audiences: The cricket lovers will hope to witness the known carnival-like atmosphere under the lights at Eden Gardens. It will be possible for spectators to relish the live-action on the field after work and will help in boosting TV ratings, which are a must for the survival and prosperity of test match cricket.

Cricket Australia organizes the annual ‘Pink Test’ (players wear Pink caps) in association with the Jane McGrath Foundation and raises awareness about breast cancer. Similarly, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly wants to host an “annual affair” during the five days of the day-night test match. "It's just my job, that's what I'm here for. Because I've played this game for so long. I think it's a great move for Test cricket and hopefully it will bring crowds back to the ground," he said.

Alongside the gala event, CAB is planning to execute a host of events across the match days:

• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina will jointly do the honors of ringing the Eden Gardens bell to commence the test match
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been sent an invite
• Chess legend Viswanathan Anand, tennis star Sania Mirza, badminton champion P.V. Sindhu, six-time World champion boxer Mary Kom and India's only Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, Tennis great Leander Paes and badminton national coach Pullela Gopichand have also been invited
• CAB will also felicitate the team members of Bangladesh-India first-ever Test in 2000, which was incidentally Sourav Ganguly's debut match as Test captain

The match to be played from November 22, with the first session timing at 1-3 pm, the second from 3:40-5:40 pm, and the final one 6-8 pm.