India's star cricketers took about an hour to get used to the size of the newly refurbished Sardar Patel stadium in Motera near Ahmedabad, said all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The stadium's capacity was expanded to 1,10,000, making it the largest cricket stadium in the world, and it will host its first international match when India face England for the third Test starting on February 24.
Check IND vs ENG 3rd Test live toss and live streaming details here
"To be honest, to be in the word's largest stadium, we actually cannot wait to have the fans around and see the atmosphere, which will be tremendous," said Pandya in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
"All the boys loved it, I think, for us, it took almost one hour to get used to the size of the ground, the kind of facilities it has provided us, I feel really, really proud that we have this in India, where we can host so many people and we can have wonderful games here," he said.
Check IND vs ENG 3rd Test playing 11 predictions here
Pandya said that there is a gym that is attached to the dressing room which is something he has never seen before.
"To be honest, I have not seen a gym connected to my dressing room... for the first time I think I have seen a gym connected to the dressing room, which is fantastic," he said.
"I can't thank the GCA (Gujarat Cricket Association) enough and all the people who have worked really hard to make a stadium so wonderful that we can't wait to actually come back again and play here," he further said.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
)