🏏 Bangladesh tour of India 2024: 2nd Test from 27 September to 1st October 2024 at Green Park, Kanpur at 9:30AM IST🏏
For 26 minutes on Thursday, in the conference room of Green Park Stadium, the attention was firmly on Shakib Al Hasan. The veteran Bangladesh all-rounder casually dropped details of his conversation with the board chief and the selectors to put an end to his Test career. The country's most decorated cricketer desires to have a swansong at home in Mirpur, but given the political conditions, that may be fraught with risk. The Kanpur Test, starting on Friday, could therefore very well be his last.
While there is uncertainty on whether Shakib will be bringing the curtains down on his Test career at Green Park or not, Kuldeep Yadav, another left-arm spinner on the other side would be awaiting the chance to play his first international game at home in his seven-year-long career.
For either of them to hope for a grand occasion - farewell or welcome - on the expected spin-friendly track of Green Park, they would have to pray that there is ample counter-measures in place by the state association for the predicted rains over the next three days.
The ground of many historic events in Indian cricket, Green Park wears the look of a quintessential Indian stadium from the 1990s without carrying its charm. A stand that was under question for holding big crowds getting late permissions, practice nets in touching distance to the boundary ropes, floodlights that gave away the last time India played a Test at the venue.
Countering the allegations, the venue director claims that the ground is all fit and ready to host the second Test against Bangladesh, with the required clearances in place and record crowd expected.
The shortcomings of the venue is not a secret even for the hosts - Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association - who have in recent years preferred to host the more high-profile games in the newer venue in the state - Lucknow's Ekana Stadium, which among many modern-day enhancements also boasts of a superior drainage system.
A brief drizzle of eight minutes had rendered the ground unplayable for an entire day in a Duleep Trophy contest seven years ago in Kanpur. But Green Park's venue director is convinced that they are prepared to counter the challenge of frequent drizzles that are predicted over the next few days: the tarpaulin sheets that cover nearly the entire ground, two super-soppers and a self-certified statement of quality of the drainage system.
But that's not the only challenge they are up against. The exterior walls of the stadium complex flaunting ads of paan masala brands and the accompanying testimony of the product splattered in a shade of deep red are being painted white. Only days after protests from a right-wing outfit demanding no-play with Bangladesh were quelled, there is a monkey attack in the stadium that they are out to deal with. "No need to worry about the monkey," the venue director assured and added in jest, "We have called langurs to deal with them."
As the grand vision of playing the 'Shine Green Park' Test was laid out, a lot of table-thumping by the organisers followed, a louder 'thumping taaliyan ho jaaye' was appealed for when Rajiv Shukla's contribution to Kanpur cricket was hailed. Disappointment was expressed at being questioned over the preparedness to host a cricket match, and an appeal was made to bring more crowds in for the match - only the second Test in eight years at the venue.
The scheduled five-day contest is not merely a cricket match for him, it's the 'pride of Kanpur' he confesses. Families of the martyrs from in and around the city would be invited and felicitated. A tree would be planted in honour of each of them for their sacrifice to make 'Green Park even greener'.
"This Test match will be played on the theme of 'Shine Green Park,' 'Shine Kanpur," the director explained of the shenanigans. "This match is about the vikaas[development] of Green Park, the vikaas of Kanpur," he announced before flaunting the details of the record ticket sales. "We've sold more tickets than the previous time. This time, the ticket sales are worth INR 1.15 Crore, last time it was INR 93 lakh."
All the claims would be put to Test, starting Friday, when Bangladesh, amidst their own set of cricketing struggles, would look to level the series against the ruthless Indian side. The focus may be stolen by the cricket, if not entirely by how Shakib and Kuldeep fare in what could be a momentous game for both of them. And if that's where the spotlight entirely is despite the likelihood of rain offering ample time to sit back and reflect, it would speak well for the cricketers, for the stadium, for the organisers and largely for Test cricket.
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