Duleep’s vital stat: 20,000 attendance

There’s a rare spectacle at the Visakha International Stadium here, where the Duleep trophy match between South and West zones is being...

There’s a rare spectacle at the Visakha International Stadium here, where the Duleep trophy match between South and West zones is being played. And no, it’s not the green-top pitch; it’s the sight of crowds turning up for a domestic match, of players actually being able to play to the galleries.

The first two days of this tie have each seen around 20,000 people streaming in to the brand new arena, parts of which are still being completed. Compare this to recent Test matches that have attracted only four-figure crowds.

Even Rahul Dravid, South Zone captain for the tie and veteran of many packed stadiums, was impressed. ‘‘It’s amazing to have this kind of crowd for a domestic match’’, he said after play on Tuesday.

Of course, he was one main reason for the crowds; they came to see him and fellow Team India stars Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and the pace battery in action. Which goes to prove that domestic cricket in India can be revived if you involve stars and clean up stadiums.

Dravid was also full of praise for the Visakha stadium. ‘‘I am amazed with the kind of infrastructure and the quality of the wicket. Not a match here and the wicket looks exciting,’’ he said.

What makes the attendance figures even more amazing is that the stadium — with a capacity of 35,000 — is on the outskirts of the city, and not easily accessible. Once there, though, the facilities and comfort levels make it worth the effort.

‘‘We’ve borrowed ideas from the Wanderers and the Gabba,’’ says Hyderabad Cricket Association and former India spinner Shivlal Yadav. ‘‘When I toured Australia as the manager of the Indian team, I was amazed by the Gabba in Brisbane. It was then that the idea was conceived.’’

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The highlights are excellent drainage facilities, a centrally airconditioned clubhouse and corporate boxes modelled on the Wanderers in Johannesburg. From a player’s perspective, Yadav said, the changing rooms and the path to the field have been prepared with security and crowd problems in mind.

The HCA plans to abandon the long-standing Lal Bahadur Cricket Stadium in the heart of the city and move to the new venue in a year’s time. Once it’s in full and regular use, it will be in stiff competition with the PCA Stadium in Mohali as the best in India.

And that can only be good news for Indian cricket.