January 3 is when the first ball of the second Test between India and South Africa will be bowled. Ironically, the first home post isolation Test Match was played at the same stadium, against the same opponents, 30 years earlier.
"Part of the 30-year anniversary of the cricketing ties between India and South Africa includes the celebration and recognition of the most iconic moments and individuals in the 30-year history of the stadium," stated an official Cricket South Africa (CSA) release.
In terms of celebrating iconic players and individuals, the stadium will unveil the top 100-players Hall of Fame (domestic, foreign, women and men) who have graced the iconic wicket post the ICC unbanning. Iconic off-the-field legends will also be celebrated who have contributed significantly to the development of the stadium and cricket in the province.
Walk of Fame will also be unveiled- these are the Kings, Queens, Dignitaries and iconic entertainment legends. Iconic moments will also be recognised - 2003 Cricket World Cup, 2009 IPL, FIFA 2010 Goodwill match, 2015 Greatest ODI ever and more.
An integrated campaign will also be launched that seeks to welcome all walks of life into the stadium including a socio-economic development programme.
Test number 1201, took place from November 26-30, 1992 at the Wanderers Stadium when the Indian cricket team toured SA for four Tests and seven ODI's from October 29, 1992 - January 6, 1993. Captained by Kepler Wessels, South Africa won the 4-match series 1-0, with the player of the series named Allan Donald.
Founded on September 22, 1956, the 66-year-old stadium hosted its first international Test match in 1956 when England won by 131 runs. The stadium continued to host several international matches including the famous Australian tour where Graeme Pollock scored 274 in 1966/67. The penultimate Test before the ban from international cricket was in 1970 when SA won by 307 runs against Australia.
Post the ICC unbanning, the stadium has hosted multiple iconic events including the over 10-hour batting display by Mike Atherton to save the Test in 1995 against England. It also played host to the 2003 World Cup Final where Australia were crowned champions. Then there was the 2006 greatest One Day International match against Australia.
Another epic match was the 2009 IPL final where the Deccan Chargers defeated the Royal Challengers by 6 runs with Anil Kumble winning man of the match and the stadium hosting a record-breaking fan attendance of 30,123. Then there was the 2015 SA vs West Indies match with AB de Villiers scoring the fastest 100 runs in only 31 balls. There have been countless moments of entertainment, excitement and exhilaration.
On the non-cricket front, the stadium has welcomed multiple Kings, Queens, Statesman, World Leaders, Captains of Industries, Mega Music Stars and fans; and have hosted multiple sporting events such as the Davis Cup and FIFA 2010 Goodwill Cup to mention a few.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor