IND vs WI 2025: ‘Take the game to smaller venues’ - Aakash Chopra urges against hosting Tests at large stadiums

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested that Test matches should be hosted at venues with smaller crowd capacities. The first Test between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad lasted for less than three days, with the stands appearing largely empty throughout. The visiting side struggled to compete, getting bowled out quickly in both innings, as the Indians won the game by an innings and 140 runs.

While fans followed the game through various media platforms, the visuals of empty stands on television were not an encouraging sight. The Shubman Gill-led Indian side remained in a dominant position throughout the length of the match, with vice captain and dynamic all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja getting the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 104 and figures of 4/54.

“Take Test matches to smaller centres. If you don’t want a tier system, that’s fine, but if it is important, go to smaller centres. Play in Guwahati, Ranchi, or Indore, and the stadium will be full. Or play a pink-ball Test, as it will add some excitement because, in this form and shape, it is not about the love for the game,” said Chopra in the latest video on his official YouTube channel.

“People are coming to watch matches; they came to Kanpur for India A’s match, they came to Delhi for a Ranji Trophy match, so they will come here too. But the chances of people coming to watch in Ahmedabad, no. There are multiple reasons,” he added.

He also pointed out that the Ahmedabad stadium is known for hosting major events such as the IPL final and the World Cup final. However, the Agra-born also mentioned that fixtures of a bilateral series featuring a team like the West Indies are unlikely to draw such large crowds, given that the venue has a capacity of around 1,32,000 spectators.

“The gap between India and the West Indies is very big. Coming to watch West Indies play seems like a laborious task. The other thing, look at the size of the stadium. It has a capacity of 1,32,000. So, even if 10-15 thousand fans come, it still looks totally empty. Ahmedabad hosts so many big-ticket matches like the IPL final and the World Cup final, and whatnot. So, there isn’t any appetite for a low-key contest like this,” Chopra concluded.