India’s first-ever Day-Night Test started at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday, 22 November, and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly along with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) made sure it got off to a grand start.
Ganguly, who had extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for both the teams’ first pink-ball Test, personally received her at the Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport earlier today.
Hasina met players of both the teams with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat in the second and final Test of the series.
PM Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee then rung the customary Eden bell in the presence of BCCI President Ganguly, Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Nazmul Hasan Papon among other dignitaries.
The other former cricketers present were S. Ramesh, Saba Karim, Sunil Joshi, Ajit Agarkar, Venkatesh Prasad, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Kris Srikkanth, Farokh Engineer and Chandu Borde.
Athletes from other sports like Abhinav Bindra, P. Gopichand, P.V. Sindhu, Sania Mirza and Mary Kom were also there.
Naimur Rahman, Mohammed Mahmudul Hasan, Maharab Hossain, Mohammed Hasibul Hussain, Shahriar Hossain Biddut, Kazi Habibul Bashar and Mohammed Akram Khan were the former Bangaldesh cricketers who were present.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)