Barabati Stadium set to regain Test status

Fans in Orissa received a good news today after Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Asirbad Behera revealed that that the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack will soon regain its Test status which it has lost in 21 long years in 1995.

“We are almost through with the formalities and BCCI president Anurag Thakur has assured us that Barabati Stadium will regain its Test status. We have ticked all the boxes required for attaining Test status,” Behera told PTI on Monday.

Baramati stadium had incidentally witnessed crowd trouble in the past last year after spectators went berserk and hurled water bottles during a T20 International match between India and South Africa. India had performed very badly in the match. Batting first, they were bowled out for 92 and that was the reason for the angry reaction.

Behera said that the security arrangements were will be taken care of very strictly and no water bottles will be allowed inside the stadium.

“The security arrangements will be beefed up and no water bottles will be allowed. But we still don’t know whether we will get a match in the coming season or not,” Behera said.

The last Test played at the venue between India and New Zealand back in November 1995 was of historical significance. The Test was the last time when Kiwi great, the late Martin Crowe, was seen in the longer version of the game. It was also the last time that Indian leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani had picked five-wicket haul in his 17-match career.