The Pink Test - Sydney Cricket Ground

Sydney Cricket Ground - Day One - The Pink Test

The Classically Beautiful Sydney Cricket Ground

The final leg of my cricket-filled summer in Australia was Day 1 of the Pink Ball Test at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). At the close of play, to catch a late flight to Melbourne, where I would board my plane back home the following morning.

After arriving from Adelaide on January 2, I spent a few enjoyable hours with my friend Sharan’s family over lunch before settling for the night at the well-maintained Sydney YHA - This hostel spread over many floors, is superbly positioned near Sydney Central Station, offering excellent connectivity to both the airport (via Metro) and the SCG (via Light Rail).

On match day, I started with a hearty breakfast at the café next door to the YHA before hopping on the Light Rail to Moore Park (station for the SCG). Travel to and from the stadium was free, though I did have to pay a surcharge in the evening for the Metro trip from the YHA to the airport.

I arrived at the SCG around 9:45 AM and quickly found my seat. During the warm-ups, it became evident that Rohit Sharma wasn’t playing, and Jasprit Bumrah would be leading the team. My only wish, given I was attending just one day of the Test, was to see India bat for most of the day and maybe witness a few overs from Bumrah by the end.

That’s exactly what I got—though the number of runs scored by India left much to be desired. The team was completely choked by the brilliant Scott Boland, who ultimately made the decisive difference in the series.

Sam Konstas kept the crowd entertained by signing autographs for kids and engaging with fans in a style reminiscent of Merv Hughes and Shane Warne. There was genuine admiration from the Aussie fans for both Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The roar when Bumrah dismissed Khawaja was deafening, even though I was already on my way out of the stadium, trying to beat the post-match crowds to the train.

Another item on my bucket list was ticked off—it was an absolute privilege to experience the SCG. An iconic venue, much like some of India’s great cricket grounds such as Chinnaswamy or Wankhede, the SCG is constrained in its ability to modernize significantly.

Nevertheless, it is a wonderful mix of the old and the new, even if you can feel its age—especially after having visited the magnificent MCG.. I wrote a lot more about my day at the SCG here in the Google review.

This concluded my 10-day Aussie Summer of Cricket, a bucket-list experience that i feel blessed to have accomplished and shall definitely cherish forever.