A parallel point to this is day night cricket. I was watching on TV the Delhi vs Mubai footbal game tonight in the ISL, and I saw a decent turnout. In fact all the ISL games have decent attendances.
Kochi has regularly seen turnout upto 60000, Kolkata has touched 60000 too. The average attendance for most grounds is upto 22000.
Then I see the attendance for the Mohali test.
Now there is no way football is more popular than cricket in India, so the turnout can only be explained by the fact that its evening, and people are free to attend the game after work.
Now just picture the late evening turnout if cricket is played at night in India. If people are willing to go watch football, I think at least 4 or 5 times that will like to go attend cricket after work.
So if Cricket does find a way to move tests to night, I think the turn out atleast in India will get a boost and a big boost at that, in post 8 p.m bracket. Ofcourse this would mean starting the game even later so that the post 8 viewer gets atleat a full session to watch. Also perhaps a way could be found to make the Final session starting at 8 be even longer, like instead of 2 hrs it could be 3 hrs, or atleast 2 and half hrs.
Also I think now some pharses we use for Test cricket will need changing. In a day night will the break after the first session still be called - 'Lunch', and will be see a 'Dinner' break as opposed to tea?
Kochi has regularly seen turnout upto 60000, Kolkata has touched 60000 too. The average attendance for most grounds is upto 22000.
Then I see the attendance for the Mohali test.
Now there is no way football is more popular than cricket in India, so the turnout can only be explained by the fact that its evening, and people are free to attend the game after work.
Now just picture the late evening turnout if cricket is played at night in India. If people are willing to go watch football, I think at least 4 or 5 times that will like to go attend cricket after work.
So if Cricket does find a way to move tests to night, I think the turn out atleast in India will get a boost and a big boost at that, in post 8 p.m bracket. Ofcourse this would mean starting the game even later so that the post 8 viewer gets atleat a full session to watch. Also perhaps a way could be found to make the Final session starting at 8 be even longer, like instead of 2 hrs it could be 3 hrs, or atleast 2 and half hrs.
Also I think now some pharses we use for Test cricket will need changing. In a day night will the break after the first session still be called - 'Lunch', and will be see a 'Dinner' break as opposed to tea?
