I am eagerly waiting for the first ball to be bowled,” said Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) secretary Niranjan Shah as he walked back home after another hard day’s work in preparation for tomorrow’s first India-England Test
Ravindra Jadeja and Cheteshwar Pujara
Rajkot: “I am eagerly waiting for the first ball to be bowled,” said Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) secretary Niranjan Shah as he walked back home after another hard day’s work in preparation for tomorrow’s first India-England Test.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I am glad that it is an India versus England match here given the long history between these two countries,” added Shah. KS Ranjitsinhji and Duleepsinhji, in whose names two of the most prestigious domestic tournaments (Ranji and Duleep Trophy) were royal family members of the erstwhile Nawanagar, a princely state in Kathiawar. They played all their cricket in England.
The SCA stadium, which hosted its first one-day international on January 11, 2013, also contested between India and England, is spread across 30 acres of land and built at a cost of Rs 75 crore.
“It was my dream to build a world-class stadium here and bring Test cricket to Saurashtra. My dream has come true. With Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja likely to play in the Test, that happiness is doubled,” Shah added.