The state-of-the-art D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, which had earned praise from all and sundry during the first Indian Premier League in 2008, is set to host the seventh and final ODI between India and Australia in November.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), the hosts of the November 11 day/night clash, on Friday evening decided to conduct the last ODI of the series at this venue because of its capacity of 50,000.
The MCA Managing Committee decided that D Y Patil would be the venue for the India-Australia ODI as it has bigger capacity than the Cricket Club of India in South Mumbai, said MCA Joint Secretary Hemant Waingankar on Saturday.
When pointed out that the teams, during the IPL last year, were reluctant to travel from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, a distance of over 30 kms, to play at the stadium, he said quite a few five-star hotels have come up in its vicinity now.
"We can accommodate the two teams nearby," he said while also pointing out that it was MCA's prerogative where to conduct the match.
Waingankar said after the IPL matches, the Navi Mumbai stadium authorities have made available practice wickets inside the stadium itself. This was done after some of the teams complained that practice wickets just outside the stadium were different in character.
The stadium, that hosted the 2008 IPL final, was recently named the sixth-best cricket venue in the world by the `British Architectural Journal'.
Former India skipper Rahul Dravid, on a visit to the stadium to launch the D Y Patil Sport's Academy's website, expressed his wish to play one international match at the venue before he quits the game, saying he was blown away by the facilities at the venue.
The academy's director and former India pace bowler Abey Kuruvilla confirmed there are enough practice wickets inside the stadium.
"There are 10 wickets inside now, including the match pitches," he said.
The academy's Sports Secretary Avinash Salvi said MCA authorities would now visit the venue and whatever things needs to be done to conduct the one-dayer would be undertaken.
The MCA committee also decided that Test cricket would return to CCI's Brabourne Stadium after more than three and a half decades when it hosts one of the three Test matches during Sri Lanka's visit to India in November-December.
The last Test match held at this iconic ground, which was the second Test venue in Mumbai after the inaugural tie at the Bombay Gymkhana, when Ajit Wadekar-led India played against Tony Lewis-captained England in 1972.
Since then all Tests in Mumbai have been held at the MCA's Wankhede Stadium which started with the 1974-75 final Test against West Indies. Currently, Wankhede is undergoing renovation to spruce it up for the 2011 World Cup.
