Published: Sep 01, 2019, 04:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 01, 2019, 04:40 PM (IST)
Crowd turnout at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, venue of the second Test between India and West Indies has been almost negligible. The empty yellow seats at the stadium has been covered with dust, the paint on the walls peeling off and the 10-feet walls trembling by the heavy trucks and vehicle that whizz by.
When some of the world’s best players – be it the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, who picked up his maiden Test hat-trick on Saturday, Indian captain Virat Kohli or even the host players such as captain Jason Holder, who picked up a fifer on Saturday, are on song – Jamaica chooses to be reluctant to step out and watch the oldest format of the game in all its glory.
INDIA VS WEST INDIES SCHEDULE | LATEST NEWS
Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla amplified the issue and asked the ICC and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), the local governing body, to take appropriate action. The senior Indian politician also felt that the sport is dying in the Caribbean.
I am shocked to see that not even 50 people are watching india-West indies test match while these areas are full of migrated Indians @ICC must do something Looks cricket is dying in Caribbean islands @windiescricket should pull-up the socks @BCCI
— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) September 1, 2019
“I am shocked to see that not even 50 people are watching India-West indies Test match while these areas are full of migrated Indians @ICC must do something Looks cricket is dying in Caribbean islands @windiescricket should pull-up the socks @BCCI,” Shukla tweeted on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Bumrah became only the third Indian to pick a Test hat-trick after Hanuma Vihari’s maiden ton, powering India to a commanding position in the second match against the West Indies at the end of Day Two.
READ: I owe my hat-trick to you, captain: Bumrah tells Kohli
In a lethal opening spell on Saturday, Bumrah (6/16) rattled the West Indies by picking up the first five wickets, three of which came in successive balls in the ninth over.
As a result, the hosts, trailing 0-1 in the two-match series, were tottering at 87 for seven at stumps on the second day. West Indies trailed India by 329 runs with three full days play remaining.
