NEW DELHI, Nov 21: When India and Pakistan clash in the first Test on Thursday, they will be entering a new-look arena at the Ferozshah Kotla Ground with the crowd capacity increased from 27,000 to 46,000.

The new dressing rooms and the pavilion have been moved to the left side from its previous position behind the wicket when one takes a view from the main gate. The colourful plastic bucket chairs provide a welcome change to the ground which used to present a shabby look in the past matches played here over some six decades.

Most of these chairs are permanently erected in the new stands on both sides of the ground but a part of the four-storied stand painted in bright red could make difficult for fielders stationed diagonally at the opposite direction of the pitch square. The red ball is certain to get lost in the background of that stand if the batsmen hit it in the air.

Three years of work put in by the Delhi District Cricket Association is drawing to a close, although there is still a lot of work to be done. By the time the electronic scoreboard is installed, the total expenditure of the project would be a whooping 65 crore Indian rupees. The authorities have initiated a drive to generate funds with a major portion of the 43 corporate boxes already been taken up and paid for the next dozen years or so.

The money spent so far worth it because the Ferozshah Kotla has already enacted its name in the cricket annals for numerous unforgettable feats since Test cricket debuted here on Nov 10, 1948 when India hosted the West Indies. Among the achievements, none come readily to mind than Anil Kumble’s astonishing all-10 in the second innings when the Indians last played Pakistan at this venue in 1999.