Dhoni could be a guest commentator in India's 1st ever Day-Night Test
New Delhi, Nov 5: Mahendra Singh Dhoni might have taken a sabbatical when it comes to playing the game after India’s exit in the 2019 World Cup, but he could be seen as a ‘guest’ commentator for India’s maiden Day-Night Test at the Eden Gardens against Bangladesh. If host broadcasters Star have their way, Dhoni will be seen in the commentary box on the opening day of the Test match on November 22.
In the plan proposed by Star to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly for the pink ball Test, accessed by IANS, all former captains of the Indian team are to be invited for the first two days of the Test match and will be asked to share their favourite moments from India’s Test history.
“Invite India Test captains for Day 1 & 2 of the Test. All captains at the ground along with (Virat) Kohli and the rest of the team as well as the dignitaries line up for the anthem. Captains appear on commentary as guests through the day to re-collect their favourite moments from India’s Test history. Down memory lane segments recorded with individual captains are played on the big screen at the ground in breaks Day 4 onwards,” reads the plan for the former India captains.
This will interestingly be the first time that Dhoni will be seen donning the role of commentator and if the former skipper does accept the invite that has supposedly already been sent, it will undoubtedly be a treat for the fans who can never have enough of their Captain Cool.
But this isn’t all as far as Star and their planning to make the first pink ball Test a carnival is concerned. At Lunch on the third day, India’s greatest win at Eden Gardens will be celebrated — against Australia in 2001.
“V.V.S. Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble (?) and Rahul Dravid (?) re-live the Test match (2001). Segments aired on the big screen,” the plan reads.
The question marks next to Kumble and Dravid’s name suggests they might have not made their availability known when the documentation was done on Saturday.
This apart, the host broadcasters are also planning to telecast the training session of the Indian team with the pink ball on the eve of the game. This will be a first in the history of Indian cricket.
“Free entry to watch India practice on Friday (B & L block). Live coverage of the practice session on Star. Crowd interaction with legends. Crowd interactions with select India players (at the end of the session),” reads the mail.
In a delight for those who are in attendance at the picturesque stadium, Star is also looking to organise audio commentary for them.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
