Xtra Time Web Desk: India captain Virat Kohli on Thursday clarified his views on having test matches in five big centre in the country. Kohli suggested BCCI to have test matches in five centres following the poor crowd turn-out during the series against South Africa. The Indian captain once again reiterated his views and also clarified that his statements were not meant for any specific city or Test venue, but it was more aimed towards making Tests a brand in India.
“If you see the ratio – there is good crowd in Indore, but then there are other places where people did not turn up. So you cannot give matches to one stadium and not to the other grounds. When we go overseas, we know we will play in Sydney, MCG. Perth and Brisbane. So we know what to expect, the different types of crowds and these things only help foster a culture. Indore is a place where you will not find even one vacant seat for T20s, there might still be few empty seats for Tests, hence, this is a proposal which is not meant to take matches away from any venue. It is also not about criticising any city. This is all part of a vision which is aimed at taking Test cricket to a higher pedestal. We are discussing things based on these points,” Kohli told reporters on the eve of the first test match against Bangladesh at Indore.
“We are all trying to figure out ways and means to keep Test cricket vibrant and according to me, this was one of the options. Let’s see now how it is executed in the future,” signed off Kohli.
