Diwali gift for Indore cricket lovers: Test status for Holkar stadium

Board of Control for Cricket in India accorded Test status to Indore’s Holkar Stadium during its 86th Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai on Monday.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) accorded Test status to Indore’s Holkar Stadium during its 86th Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai on Monday.

BCCI accorded Test status to Indore’s Holkar Stadium during its 86th Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai on Monday. (HT file photo)

Besides Indore, BCCI also named five more Test venues including - Pune, Ranchi, Visakhapatnam, Dharamsala and Rajkot. With six more Test venues, total number of Test venues in the country rose to 15 as nine already existing one.

When contacted Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) president Sanjay Jagdale said this is great honour for MPCA to be part of Test venues family.

Appreciating Board decision, former BCCI secretary Jagdale said that the board move helps to expand game.

“As BCCI secretary about couple of years back, I’ve suggested board to accord Test status to second tier cities too as it helps to expand game. Secondly, if you look at Test match held at big venues, most of the time stadiums are empty as the same host international ties often and this leads to loss of interest for game, particularly for the longest form of game,” Jagdale said. “BCCI move will play as crowd puller role in Test cricket,” MPCA president added.

So far, Holkar Stadium which is happy hunting ground for Team India, hosting ODIs since 2006. Till date four ODIs and two IPL Twenty20 matches have been played at the venue. Team India scored victory in all four ODI, including two against England and one each against West Indies and South Africa.