SPORTS

The second India-England Test in Chennai will not be played behind closed doors as the BCCI
has informally given permission to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Assocation (TNCA) to open its gates
for spectators, up to a 50% capacity. The I,J, and K stands of the MA Chidambaram Stadium will
likely be opened to public, pending Tamil Nadu government clearance, for the second Test
starting February 13. The ticket details and standard operating procedures for crowds will be
released when formal approval arrives.

The upcoming India versus England Test series has the potential to be an enticing contest similar in intensity to the one recently completed in Australia.

India will start as favourites after an exhilarating victory over Australia, overcoming all obstacles. When you add the name Virat Kohli to the batting order, the team suddenly assumes a bulletproof cloak. In also adding the names R Ashwin, Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma to the list of available players, India take on an unbeatable appearance.

Likewise, England can point to improvements they can make to the side that won convincingly in Sri Lanka. The availability of a premium player in Ben Stokes who, like Pandya, provides all-round ability and selection flexibility, albeit at a higher level than the Indian, is a big plus. And Jofra Archer adds substantially to the quality of an already strong pace attack.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah is busy "contemplating" whether a red-ball tournament (preferably the Ranji Trophy) is possible this season. It is in this regard that he has approached state associations for viable solutions and is likely to arrive at a decision very soon, after a consensus has been reached.

It is being perceived that when the Apex Council of the BCCI last met on January 17, the discussions bordered around the hosting of the Vijay Hazare one-day tournament, along with a T20 tournament for women cricketers. However, Shah is keen on receiving another round of suggestions and wants to look at all the options available before taking a final call.

The Ranji, said those in the know, isn't 'viable', simply because the logistics involved in bringing 38 teams together to play four-day matches would require a very large bubble, more time and appropriate mechanisms. Shah was learnt to have told the Apex Council that he would approach the members for their "suggestions" and would "try his best" to see if any red-ball cricket was possible.

On Wednesday, Indian-origin spinner Tanveer Sangha was included in the Australia squad for the T20I series in New Zealand next month, on the back of a prolific maiden Big Bash season.

Playing for the Sydney Thunder, the 19-year-old has emerged as the third-highest wicket-taker, with 21 dismissals at the end of the group stage, at 16.66 runs each and an economy of 8.04 runs per over — leaving behind established leggies such as T20 stalwart Rashid Khan and compatriot Adam Zampa. The batsmen left foxed include Australia limited-overs captain Aaron Finch and Peter Handscomb and Chris Lynn.

The national call-up comes as vindication for father Joga. He migrated to Sydney’s south-west suburbs from Rahimpur Kala Sanghian, a village 20 km from Jalandhar, in 1997. Joga worked on a farm in Brisbane before becoming a taxi driver in Sydney.

Days after Sourav Ganguly was admitted to a Kolkata hospital for heart-related ailments, the cricketer was seen at the hospital once more on Wednesday as he complained of chest pain again. A news agency tweeted visuals of Sourav Ganguly arriving at the hospital and wrote, "West Bengal: BCCI Chief Sourav Ganguly was taken to Apollo Hospital in Kolkata after he complained of chest pain. Visuals from his earlier arrival at the hospital." 

Just earlier this month, the BCCI chief was admitted to Woodlands hospital in Kolkata after he had complained of chest pain and dizziness. Ganguly was then diagnosed with three blockages in the coronary artery and underwent immediate angioplasty.