Excited Indian Fans Stream Into World's Biggest Cricket Stadium

Excited fans in Indian face paints streamed into the brand new world's biggest cricket stadium on Wednesday for what promises to be one of the biggest sporting spectacles since the pandemic. The f

In cricket-mad India, the first Test of the current series against England in early February was behind closed doors in Chennai but for the second game a limited crowd of 15,000 was allowed -- a game the hosts duly won to tie the four-Test series 1-1.

On Wednesday for the third Test -- a pink-ball day-night match -- for the new Ahmedabad stadium's inaugural game -- thousands of Indian fans with flags queued up to get inside the vast state-of-the-art new venue.

Staff at the entry gates were handing out masks for fans who didn't have one and asking people to sanitise their hands.

"I have shut my shop for the day," said an "excited" Tarun Parmar, who runs a salon in the city and wore a jersey embossed with the name of India captain Virat Kohli.

"I am here with my whole family for this historic moment. We have taken precautions for coronavirus by wearing mask. I hope India win," he told.

Seemingly absent were any England fans after a handful of Barmy Army faithful made it to Chennai.