India vs Bangladesh: File photo of Rishabh Pant© AFP
After the first Test of the Indian vs Bangladesh in Chennai, the action now shifts to Kanpur. India would be aiming for a clean sweep in the two-match series at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. The venue is hosting its first international cricket match after 2021. However, according to a report in The Indian Express, the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) has deemed one of the stands in the stadium as dangerous. According to the report, the government officials has given the verdict that the structure could collapse if the stand is up to full capacity.
“The PWD has raised some issues and we have agreed that we will not sell all the tickets of Balcony C,” UPCA CEO Ankit Chatterjee told the paper.
“We have been told to sell only 1700 tickets for the stand, which has a capacity of 4,800. The repair work will continue for the next couple of days."
The situation is so dire that a group of engineers spent considerable time at the Balcony C stand and warned the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) to close it during match.
"This stand won't be able to take the weight of even 50 fans, if they start jumping after Rishabh Pant hits a six. This part of the stadium is in dire need of repair," the report quoted a PWD engineer.
Rishabh Pant returned to the international Tests in the Bangladesh series post his recovery after a serious car accident and immediately stamped his class. His brisk scores in India's first match of the series, including a century in the second innings, has brought him back to ICC Test rankings and he is in sixth position.
The top 10 rankings in Tests released by ICC in Tests and ODIs saw ups and downs after some intense international cricket action.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (751) has moved to fifth rankings, also helped by half-century in the first innings of the Bangladesh match. Pant is behind him at 731 rating points.
Rohit Sharma has retained his spot in top 10 ten batters but has moved five places down with his single-digit scores in the first Test of two-match Bangladesh series.
In terms of Test bowling rankings, Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya solidified his reputation as one of the game's best spinners, moving five spots to eighth ranking after a nine-wicket haul against New Zealand in the Galle Test.
With ANI inputs