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Why Virat Kohli Was Surprised By Crowd Turn-Out In Day 1 Of India-Bangladesh Test? Ashwin Reveals

Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (X)Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (X)

The first test match between India and Bangladesh was played at the iconic MA Chidambaram stadium. Despite being held in Chennai, a city known for its passionate cricket fans, the stadium was nearly empty on the opening day of the first Test. However, crowds arrived in large numbers as the match progressed, especially over the weekend.

Related to this, Ravichandran Ashwin recently shared insights about his conversation with former Indian captain Virat Kohli regarding the unexpectedly low turnout of fans at Chepauk.

Ashwin Reveals Kohli’s Crowd Concern During Chennai Test 

In conversation with Ashwath Bobo on his YouTube channel, Ravi Ashwin revealed how he and Kohli were puzzled by the sparse attendance at the start of the match. The Test match, which started on a Thursday morning, saw a slow buildup of fans. By the evening of Day 1 and the following three days large crowd began to fill the stands. 

"The ground was completely empty on the first day. I was wondering why the ground was so empty on Day 1. Virat Kept telling me that no one was coming to watch the Test match. But from that moment, there was a huge crowd. I wanted to ask you why so many people struggled to buy tickets?"

In this conversation, Ashwin further asked Ashwath about the reasons behind the initial low turnout and the subsequent surge of fans. 

He explained that ambiguity surrounding ticket options might have been a factor. Traditionally, ticket sales for Test matches offered both 'season ticket' (valid for all five days) and 'day tickets' (valid for a single day). Many fans were uncertain about which ticket to buy that lead to a delay in purchases.

"Initially, when ticket sales used to happen, they used to call it a season ticket or a day ticket. A season ticket is when you get it punched on Day 1 and you can come back for 5 days with same ticket. Many people were afraid that the match would go on till the 4th or 5th day. So everyone had an ambiguity to buy the season ticket. So when they come to buy the day ticket, the crowd was huge. The crowd was from the Pavillion to the Pattabiram Gate," Ashwath said.

Despite these initial hurdles, the stadium eventually witnessed a packed house by Day 3, as cricket enthusiasts flocked to, Chepauk, particularly on Saturday and Sunday. India will next play against Bangladesh as the series heads to Kanpur for the second and final Test on Friday, September 27, at Green Park Stadium.