It is a breathtaking sight the moment you step inside the Sardar Patel Stadium at the Motera in Ahmedabad. As last-minute touches were being given to the majestic stadium, named after the Iron Man of India, it was hard not to make a comparison with the famous MCG.
The MCG is iconic, has hosted top drawer cricket for decades and has a capacity of 1,00,000. In comparison, the stadium at Motera can accommodate a whopping 1,10,000 spectators, which is an architectural delight.
This is the brainchild of the Gujarat Cricket Association and the men who conceived it are none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Both have been presidents of the GCA in the past and it has been their desire to have a cricket stadium which is huge and very modern.
Built at over Rs 800 crores by L&T, the stadium is neat. Sitting inside is like a football stadium and the best part is wherever you are seated the action cannot be missed. This is the same stadium which hosted the Namaste Trump show last February.
This time, there is no such tamasha in store but Pink Ball cricket, where India and England will compete in the third Test from Wednesday. For a first-timer visiting the new Motera, it is simply breathtaking. You would normally associate a venue like this built for an Olympics, where the opening and closing ceremonies are held and also track and field programme.
The brand new Motera takes pride in the fact that people can exit from their seats in less than half hour. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, only 55,000 lucky fans can enter the stadium from 230pm on Wednesday. The pandemic has still not abated, so for this venue to host two back-t-back Test matches is special.
While the design of the stadium leaves no room for criticism, the behaviour of the pitch will be watched with huge interest. The huge square can have 11 pitches and one is not sure how the match pitch will behave from Wednesday. There is a light green tinge but in India, one can be sure it will be shaved off at the last minute.
The curator says the soil is black. Chepauk, where India won by 317 runs in the second Test, too, was black, though the bite, bounce and aid it gave to spinners came in for criticism. How the Motera track will behave and how the pink ball behaves under arc lights will be fascinating.
Pink Ball Test cricket is a relatively new dimension for Team India, though, mentally, they are well prepared to take on Joe Root’s men. There is talk of India banking on the pace battery. Delhi’s Ishant Sharma is set to play his 100th Test match, a big feat for a speedster like him who has battled frequent injuries.
Jasprit Bumrah will be back and there may be a temptation to go with Umesh Yadav as well. So, will India go with three speedsters is the point of debate on Tuesday as Virat Kohli and the boys were at nets under floodlights. It was strictly out of bound for onlookers due to the Bio Bubble.
The match starts at 230pm and lengthening shadows by 445pm means the floodlights will be turned on. The arena, bathed under arc-lights, is a visual delight for sure. Both teams will be eager to come out firing on all cylinders after President Ram Nath Kovind formally inaugurates the stadium on Wednesday.
It is a proud moment for every Indian that a stadium of this size and class has been built. There is a multi-sports complex also coming up soon and for those who fancy fitness, the gyms are amazing. The GCA takes pride in having an Olympic size swimming pool as well at the same complex.
Indeed, if 55,000 spectators, with a heavy sprinkling of VIPs fill up the stadium on Wednesday, the energy will be high. Any athlete or cricketer loves such an intense arena. For the Motera, this is simply a new beginning. It is going to host two Tests and India needs to win at least one to make it to the ICC Test Championship final against New Zealand later in summer.