Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[JSRAW]

@Haunebu Similar to D/N ODI but pink ball instead of Red Ball.

Got it. The pink ball is probably easier to see under night conditions when compared to a red ball. I don't think many people would attend such events though due to their busy schedules though I still would like to some of these matches happen now and then.

D/N cricket can change the dynamics of test cricket in India and if contest is good between bat and ball then its good bet.

Plus cricket board need to be little creative when it comes to price. For ex let's say average person want to watch a Test game on Day-1 or so on but he/she can't watch full game due to his/her full time job. give them discount on tickets -half price or whatever- just to encourage.

[Sithara007]

D/N cricket can change the dynamics of test cricket in India and if contest is good between bat and ball then its good bet.

Plus cricket board need to be little creative when it comes to price. For ex let's say average person want to watch a Test game on Day-1 or so on but he/she can't watch full game due to his/her full time job. give them discount on tickets -half price or whatever- just to encourage.

Hopefully D/N cricket can increase the gate collection for the test matches (especially for those one sided matches involving India). Normally the collections are high during weekends, but show a big dip during the weekdays. In case of a D/N test, a lot of people will be able to attend the play after their work during weekdays and this can be mutually beneficial for both the BCCI and the fans. With the interest in test cricket declining, measures like these are needed to keep the fans interested in this format.

But I don't agree with your suggestion to sell discounted tickets for half-day. It will create a lot of complexities. Normally admissions are done only once during the day. If half-day tickets are being sold, then the stadium needs to be emptied by the end of each session and then the viewers needs to be re-admitted. There are practical options here. One option is to create separate stands for those who enter using the half-day ticket. Another option is to limit the half-day ticket only during the second half.

[RapTarX]

Plus cricket board need to be little creative when it comes to price. For ex let's say average person want to watch a Test game on Day-1 or so on but he/she can't watch full game due to his/her full time job. give them discount on tickets -half price or whatever- just to encourage.

I doubt people only don't watch test cricket jist because they are busy, in reality, most of the people don't like the test format cricket at all and for them, it's a waste of time. But it's the best to cricket fans.
Your creative idea will have a lot of flaws on the system to be monitored. It's better reducing the ticket fee and hold some kind of funny events for the visitors. It may attract some.

[bryant.coleman]

Plus cricket board need to be little creative when it comes to price. For ex let's say average person want to watch a Test game on Day-1 or so on but he/she can't watch full game due to his/her full time job. give them discount on tickets -half price or whatever- just to encourage.

I doubt people only don't watch test cricket jist because they are busy, in reality, most of the people don't like the test format cricket at all and for them, it's a waste of time. But it's the best to cricket fans.
Your creative idea will have a lot of flaws on the system to be monitored. It's better reducing the ticket fee and hold some kind of funny events for the visitors. It may attract some.

At least in my case, that is true. I find test cricket really boring, and I very rarely watch test matches. The recently concluded series between India and South Africa was a perfect example to this. There was hardly anything exciting with that series and all the matches were one sided. On the other hand, a few months back I watched the Ashes series between England and Australia, and have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it. But such matches occur only once in a blue moon and more often we have one sided matches like the one we had last month. Someone had already proposed dividing the test championship in to two divisions and such measures are really needed to keep the test matches interesting.

[AjithBtc]

Plus cricket board need to be little creative when it comes to price. For ex let's say average person want to watch a Test game on Day-1 or so on but he/she can't watch full game due to his/her full time job. give them discount on tickets -half price or whatever- just to encourage.

I doubt people only don't watch test cricket jist because they are busy, in reality, most of the people don't like the test format cricket at all and for them, it's a waste of time. But it's the best to cricket fans.
Your creative idea will have a lot of flaws on the system to be monitored. It's better reducing the ticket fee and hold some kind of funny events for the visitors. It may attract some.

Very few will opt to watch the entire five days match. The fare matters, apart from this there will be expenses. This can be of the food and for other leisure purposes. What we all think might have been planned prior by the cricket boards, but in reality this wouldn't benefit. In this fast moving world if we don't work today we won't have food for tomorrow. By this time surely people will think of spending five days on the ground without any benefit.

[JSRAW]

~snip~
I doubt people only don't watch test cricket jist because they are busy, in reality, most of the people don't like the test format cricket at all and for them, it's a waste of time. But it's the best to cricket fans.

True, that's a main reason i am in support of "Fixed Venues for the test cricket". its not the tough task to pick 10-12 venues and work on them.

~snip~.
Your creative idea will have a lot of flaws on the system to be monitored. It's better reducing the ticket fee and hold some kind of funny events for the visitors. It may attract some.

~snip~
But I don't agree with your suggestion to sell discounted tickets for half-day. It will create a lot of complexities. Normally admissions are done only once during the day. If half-day tickets are being sold, then the stadium needs to be emptied by the end of each session and then the viewers needs to be re-admitted. There are practical options here. One option is to create separate stands for those who enter using the half-day ticket. Another option is to limit the half-day ticket only during the second half.

@RapTarX @Sithara007 Well, it was based on personal experience and same scenario, which Sithara pointed out "Bold Text". of course idea is complex and has its fair share of complexity or flaws but it could be implemented with good planning and every drop counts in the end.

[Clement Kaliyar]

I doubt people only don't watch test cricket jist because they are busy, in reality, most of the people don't like the test format cricket at all and for them, it's a waste of time. But it's the best to cricket fans.

If there is a test match no one will be having the time to go to the stadium for all these days, some people will come to the stadium to see their favorite batsman batting or to see an interesting session if there is some interesting battle going on other than that you cannot attract more crowds and most of the crowd they get is in the final two days of the match.

It's better reducing the ticket fee and hold some kind of funny events for the visitors. It may attract some.

For test matches the ticket rates are not that high and they will be giving free pass to college and school students in collaboration with the management and hence you will see students in the gallery every day when there are test matches. To include some other events during a test match is not possible as it will create further mess, i have seen matches and it is really tiring and more over there are many restrictions to carry food or cigarette inside the stadium and to watch these boring matches who will be sacrificing all these things .

[Haunebu]

For test matches the ticket rates are not that high and they will be giving free pass to college and school students in collaboration with the management and hence you will see students in the gallery every day when there are test matches. To include some other events during a test match is not possible as it will create further mess, i have seen matches and it is really tiring and more over there are many restrictions to carry food or cigarette inside the stadium and to watch these boring matches who will be sacrificing all these things .

I did observe students on more than one occasion and expected they were given free tickets to improve demand for these matches. If they love Cricket, they probably enjoyed the experience overall. Even if some students are not interested, they still got a day off even if they had to deal with food restrictions which is a plus point.

Its basically a picnic party for them. However, if the venue itself poses problems(No proper roof cover etc), they would probably feel like they were better off attending school etc since Indian stadiums don't allow mobiles inside.

[JSRAW]

Ganguly is in action mode and very welcome initiative by him, he's trying to strengthen domestic players economically and we can hope more competition among the first-class cricketer. i doubt if anyone wants to miss this boat.

BCCI will have 'contract system for first-class cricketers' - Sourav Ganguly

In a move that could signal a major shift in Indian cricket, newly-elected BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has said that the board will bring in "a contract system" for first-class cricketers, and that the new finance sub-committee will be asked to put the process in place for it to happen.

"We will bring in a contract system for first-class cricketers," Ganguly told PTI in an interview. "We (office-bearers) will ask the new finance committee to prepare a contract system.

"My biggest priority will be to look after first-class cricketers," he had said, adding that he had asked the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to provide financial security for domestic cricketers when the panel was put in place by the Supreme Court to supervise the BCCI. "I have been requesting that to the CoA for three years. That's the first thing I will do, look after the financial health of our first-class cricketers."

If implemented, this could change the complexion of the first-class game in the country.

The BCCI currently pays 26% of its gross revenue every year to its players; half of that is distributed among international players. How much each players gets, however, is calculated based on the number of matches they play. Which means a domestic cricketer stands to earn around Rs 25 to 30 lakh [US$ 35,350 to 42,500 approx.] depending on the matches played.

[Clement Kaliyar]

I did observe students on more than one occasion and expected they were given free tickets to improve demand for these matches. If they love Cricket, they probably enjoyed the experience overall. Even if some students are not interested, they still got a day off even if they had to deal with food restrictions which is a plus point.

For students they are happy to see these international players but the real happiness comes when they are taken a day off from school and attend cricket matches will be a memorable event for these students and i am sure these students will enjoy these events like a picnic  . I do not think that the school authorities will force anyone to attend these matches but all the students will be happy to bunk the school with full attendance in class.

Ganguly is in action mode and very welcome initiative by him, he's trying to strengthen domestic players economically and we can hope more competition among the first-class cricketer. i doubt if anyone wants to miss this boat.

Confident that he will change cricket for the better and he is focusing to have more competition and life stability according to their skills and it is a wonderful move, Ganguly is the best choice for the post and these steps will strengthen the quality of players.

[Haunebu]

Ganguly is in action mode and very welcome initiative by him, he's trying to strengthen domestic players economically and we can hope more competition among the first-class cricketer. i doubt if anyone wants to miss this boat.

BCCI will have 'contract system for first-class cricketers' - Sourav Ganguly

This is excellent news. Am expecting many players to train harder than ever now to earn these contracts. Always knew that Ganguly would do something useful as the President and he is moving in the right direction.

Seems like domestic cricketers will earn decent amounts based on what the article says. Looks like Ganguly is doing what the COA couldn't for quite a long time.

[Sithara007]

If contract system is implemented in the Indian domestic cricket, then it will be a very welcome change. Right now, the players are paid based on the number of matches they play. For every 4-day match, an Indian domestic player receives a fixed salary of ₹140,000. For 50-over and 20-over matches, the salary is fixed at ₹35,000. This is not bad, and previously (until 2016-17), the wages used to be ₹40,000 and ₹10,000 respectively.

Now the problem with the fixed system is that the players are paid irrespective of their performance and match experience. For example, during the final of the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy (payed between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka), both Karun Nair and Devdutt Padikkal received the same salary (₹35,000). The irony is that the former had scored a triple century for India, while the latter is yet to be considered as a permanent member of the Karnataka side.

[JSRAW]

Okay Ladies and gents, We have green light for first D/N test match in India. Watch out for Dew though and its going to be big political event as well. Bangladesh and Indian PM both going to attend this match.

Along with All Bangladeshi cricketers who played the first Ind vs Ban match back in 2000s i suppose.

Bangladesh agree to play Day-Night Test in Kolkata

Bangladesh Cricket Board has accepted BCCI's request of playing the Kolkata Test of the forthcoming series as a Day-Night game. Eden Gardens will thus become the first Indian venue to host a pink-ball Test.

"As the coach and some of the players and all the other senior players, we think that it's a great opportunity," Domingo said on Tuesday (October 29). "I don't think India have played a pink-ball Test before. We haven't played a pink-ball Test. It's a massive occasion at the Eden Gardens.

"It will be a new experience for both the teams. So we are very excited about it. It will be a great occasion under the lights against one of the best team in the world, probably the best team in the world also. So we are really looking forward to the challenge."

~snip~
Ganguly is the best choice for the post and these steps will strengthen the quality of players.

~snip~
 Looks like Ganguly is doing what the COA couldn't for quite a long time.

I have a feeling that Ganguly is just warming up. his real test is how he tackles ICC over financial setup(Past dues). Tax, ICC yearly events etc.

[bryant.coleman]

Okay Ladies and gents, We have green light for first D/N test match in India. Watch out for Dew though and its going to be big political event as well. Bangladesh and Indian PM both going to attend this match.

I don't understand the point in mixing politics with sports. Why can't we keep these two as separate? I understand that Indians (and the other South Asians such as Pakistanis and Sri Lankans) are very passionate about cricket. But historically, sports has been been used as a tool to cement friendship between various nations. But here it is being used for narrow political gains.

One positive thing is the election of Sourav Ganguly as the president of the BCCI. He is not involved in politics (although there are rumors linking him to a political party), and he is someone who had represented India in the past. But along with Sourav, a number of officials got elected who got their posts thanks to political connections (Jay Shah, Arun Singh Dhumal.etc).

[JSRAW]

Okay Ladies and gents, We have green light for first D/N test match in India. Watch out for Dew though and its going to be big political event as well. Bangladesh and Indian PM both going to attend this match.

I don't understand the point in mixing politics with sports. Why can't we keep these two as separate? I understand that Indians (and the other South Asians such as Pakistanis and Sri Lankans) are very passionate about cricket. But historically, sports has been been used as a tool to cement friendship between various nations. But here it is being used for narrow political gains.

One positive thing is the election of Sourav Ganguly as the president of the BCCI. He is not involved in politics (although there are rumors linking him to a political party), and he is someone who had represented India in the past. But along with Sourav, a number of officials got elected who got their posts thanks to political connections (Jay Shah, Arun Singh Dhumal.etc).

Mixing politics with Sports- more precisely Cricket- has a long history in subcontinent so nothing new IMHO.

Just to be clear, its Ganguly first gig as BCCI's head and he used to be Eden Garden's administrator if i am not wrong so this all project is his baby and he want to make this series as grand as possible that's why he pitched the idea of first D/N match and manage to invite Bangladesh's PM and all former Bangladeshi cricketers (first test Ind vs Ban). Indian PM didn't gave any confirmation but i am sure he is going to visit as well.

about others that's what nepotism looks like.

[SaShiRaJaVu]

I don't understand the point in mixing politics with sports. Why can't we keep these two as separate? I understand that Indians (and the other South Asians such as Pakistanis and Sri Lankans) are very passionate about cricket. But historically, sports has been been used as a tool to cement friendship between various nations. But here it is being used for narrow political gains.

If you look at the history between India and Pakistan they use cricket as a tool to cement their animosity and the political system is involved with everything as it is a money grab as the amount of money they are making is huge and hence you see the political connection, this is not happening in Asian countries but happening in Zimbabwe and other countries.

One positive thing is the election of Sourav Ganguly as the president of the BCCI. He is not involved in politics (although there are rumors linking him to a political party), and he is someone who had represented India in the past. But along with Sourav, a number of officials got elected who got their posts thanks to political connections (Jay Shah, Arun Singh Dhumal.etc).

The appointment of Sourav Ganguly is a positive thing that they did and he will some positive changes as the BCCI president and since he is not involved in politics he will do the best he can do to improve cricket.

[TalkStar]

Suddenly got the news of "Day-Night" test cricket match which will be hosted in Kolkata .
https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/110551/bangladesh-agree-to-play-day-night-test-in-kolkata

Hopefully test cricket lovers gonna enjoy this match. I am eagerly waiting to see this pink ball match although unluckily haven't got enough time to watch an entire test match. i think both team will get a new experience from this and test cricket will touch another level. Test cricket is loosing its popularity day by day where cricket lovers prefer to watch twenty/20 matches but this "Day-Night" format could change the current scenario.

[akhjob]

Wow many things have changed during the last two days. But I don't think that this is the first pink ball test match. Maybe it's the first for India. But, if my memory serves right Australia and New Zealand played the first pink ball test in Adelaide back in 2013-14.

[eaLiTy]

Wow many things have changed during the last two days. But I don't think that this is the first pink ball test match. Maybe it's the first for India. But, if my memory serves right Australia and New Zealand played the first pink ball test in Adelaide back in 2013-14.

This will be a new experience for Indian cricket fans and this experiment will showcase how the fans will respond in day night matches and whether they can attract the audience for Test matches, Australia and New Zealand played the first day night Test back in 2015 and only India is yet to play day night Test match while all the major teams already tried the game and day night matches will be played in the future too as  Australia and Pakistan will be playing one in November and Australia and New Zealand is scheduled to play in December.

[Sithara007]

Wow many things have changed during the last two days. But I don't think that this is the first pink ball test match. Maybe it's the first for India. But, if my memory serves right Australia and New Zealand played the first pink ball test in Adelaide back in 2013-14.

You are right about the venue and the teams, but as per records the date was 27th November 2015 (i.e 2015-16 season). It was the last test of the 3-match series and the toss was won by Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, who chose to bat first. The match was really close, although Australia won by three wickets. None of the batsmen managed to score a century, and there were only three half centuries (Tom Latham for New Zealand, and Steven Smith/Peter Nevill for Australia). Hazlewood took 70/6 in the NZ second innings.