India vs England 3rd Test: Motera - Welcome to the world's largest cricket stadium

Stuart Broad has compared it to a coliseum. Hardik Pandya took an hour to get used to its size. The Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, which will host the third India-England Test starting Wednesday, takes some getting used to, even for seasoned cricketers.

The stadium has a seating capacity of 1,10,000, close to 10,000 more spectators than the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground – that has now lost its tag of being the largest cricket stadium in the world to the facility in Motera. This is also the second largest stadium in the world by capacity, after North Korea's Rungrado 1st of May Stadium which can host 1,50,000 people. In India, only the Eden Gardens with a capacity of 80,000 comes close.

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“Crowd plays a massive role. They really get behind us. The difference that it makes, we saw in the second Test in Chennai," Virat Kohli said. "The opposition does feel the pressure when we go to play in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia...anywhere. I have experienced that as a batsman. When 30,000 fans are booing you or clapping when the bowlers are running in to bowl, it does stay in your head. So, I would want that atmosphere to be present, to make life more difficult for the opposition, to get behind the team."

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, only half the stadium's capacity is allowed to be filled. The Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) expects 30,000 to 40,000 spectators on a daily basis. Even then, the stadium will see one of the biggest congregations of people in a sporting venue since sports resumed post the Covid-19 stoppage.

“We expect he number to go up when India bats. The spectators will be handed masks and sanitisers at the entrance. We expect them to maintain social distance in the gallery. There will be volunteers present to keep them reminding about masks and social distancing,” Anil Patel, GCA joint secretary, said.

The GCA, which owns the Sardar Patel Stadium, will have its task cut for the next one month as it hosts the fourth Test as well as the five-T20I series against England, starting March 12. The last time Ahmedabad hosted a Test match was back in 2012, while it lasted hosted a match during the 2014 IPL.

On ground, the Sardar Patel Stadium has 11 centre strips and four dressing rooms (each with a separate gym). Refurbished at a cost of over ₹800 crore, according to Patel, the stadium complex is spread in 63 acres and has six indoor pitches with bowling machines. It also has outdoor practice pitches and two practice grounds.

The old Motera Stadium was demolished in 2015 and it took five years to be reconstructed. Upon completion, the stadium hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former US president Donald Trump in an event last year.

But as far as cricket is concerned, the refurbished stadium has hosted seven knockout-phase games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy in January. Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, who has played 11 ODIs and 14 T20Is for India, featured in those games for Rajasthan.

The 23-year-old feels fast bowlers may get some help from the pitch. “It is an even wicket. We played with white balls and there was bounce for the pacers. In the evening, the conditions can aid swing too. It's a huge stadium,” Ahmed said.

But the LED floodlights, which are mounted on the circular roof similar to the ones at the Dubai International Stadium, may pose problems for the fielders, said Ahmed. “Personally, I feel it is difficult for the fielders if the ball is at a certain height. It is quite like what happened in Dubai during the IPL. There were catches being dropped by some very reputed names,” he said.

The shiny new orange-coloured seats can pose a distraction too for the players. “The sight screen is quite big here so as a batsman the focus may not go on the seats. But yes, as a fielding unit, we have discussed the issue. We as a team have always believed to make the best out of a situation and we will do it,” Kohli said.