India vs Bangladesh: Test calendar should be interpolated to revive Test cricket in India, states Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid has emphasized the need to have a pre-fixed Test calendar and has stated that Day/Night Tests can’t be the only solution to revive Test cricket in India.

India are an absolute powerhouse in the world of cricket with the country possessing more than 10 international stadiums that have already hosted Test cricket, but this very boon has also been their Achilles heel, with the small cities often failing to lure large amounts of people to the stadium.

The turnout, specifically in the last two Tests of the South Africa series was underwhelming, which prompted skipper Virat Kohli to publicly request the BCCI to consider having not more than 4 or 5 stadiums hosting Test cricket, like Australia and England, to centralize the schedule better.

Now, after Kohli, legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid has also voiced his concern over the same and has stated that the country needs to interpolate a Test calendar to engage the crowd, make them aware of the games and help them make plans in advance to turn up to the stadium and watch the game.

"It is important we accept the ground reality. Yes, you can argue that the Ashes are always full and that Test cricket is in good health in England and Australia, but that's because they have a Test calendar and we don't," Dravid was quoted as saying by Times of India.

"People can plan for a Boxing Day Test in December and a Lord's Test in July a year ahead. We need this to happen in Indian cricket.”

With BCCI President Sourav Ganguly announcing that the first four days of the historic Day/Night Test at the Eden Gardens has been sold out already, there is a never-before-seen buzz surrounding the Test match, with many people, including Ganguly himself, opining that the introduction of Day/Night Tests could hold key to reviving red-ball cricket in the country.

However, Dravid feels that the Day/Night Tests are nothing but a mere novelty that attracts people towards the stadium and reckons that it’s not the only solution to resurrect Test cricket in the country. The former skipper urged the board to instead look into other small but important amenities that will enhance the overall experience for viewers.

“It is not the only solution to rejuvenate Test cricket, but it is one of the things we need to do. If we are able to control dew, the pink ball Test can become an annual feature in India. It (pink ball) is a novelty that will attract people to the stadium.

"Basic things like toilets, seating, car parking need to be looked into, these are things that will draw fans.”

The 46-year-old then went on to describe how compared to the old days, technological revolution now plays a part in influencing how many people actually turn up to the stadium and insisted that the board had to make the necessary changes taking every single minute factor into consideration.

"When we say there were 1,00,000 people at the Eden Gardens in 2001, we are missing the point. At that time, there was no HD television that could guarantee you a better experience at home, there was no cricket on mobile, and if you wanted to catch the action, you had to make it to the ground.”

But nevertheless, the historic Day/Night Test at the Eden Gardens promises to be an absolutely enthralling one for the fans thanks to the sheer spectacle of it, let alone the quality that will be on display. Despite Team India never having played a pink-ball Test previously, like Bangladesh, the bookmakers seem to be hell-bent on them winning the match comfortably, and have the home team at a ridiculous 1.083 to walk away victorious from Kolkata.