Pune a little unprepared for its maiden Test

Among all the centres which have been given Test status recently, the maiden Test has come at possibly the worst time for Pune. Apart from the turmoil in the Maharashtra Cricket Association following the implementations of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, the stadium appears a little unprepared for its maiden Test. The grandiose plans the MCA had for the stadiums — that included beautification of the surroundings — seem to have got stuck somewhere. Built in the middle of nowhere, it’s going to take some effort for the spectators to show up for the first Test at the stadium. And even if they make it, the uncovered stands will make it tough for them to sit through the day with temperature already over 35ºC.

Who let the dogs in

The silence shrouding this stadium is suddenly ruptured. At one go, several dogs, 20 of them, start barking. “Don’t worry, all these are trained dogs, they have been kept here for security,” a gentleman, who turned out to be one of their handlers, tells his alarmed audience. Why keep so many dogs? “Well, they are better at handling crowds than security men. People tend to argue and not listen to security persons, but not much effort is required to control the crowds with these dogs around,” he said with a smile. “Last year during an IPL game, while Preity Zinta (Kings XI co-owner) was distributing T-shirts to the spectators, one of the stands collapsed. There was a chance of a stampede, but these dogs kept the crowd in control,” he said.