India vs South Africa: Mohali's cricket lovers give Day 1 a miss

Of late, poor turnouts for Tests has become bit of a trend at Mohali.

New Delhi: Test cricket in India received another jolt as fans failed to turn up in large numbers for Day 1 of the Mohali Test between in India and South Africa.

According to a report on the Times of India, when Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay walked out to bat, members of the media contingent outnumbered spectators in the stands.

Interestingly, the same PCA stadium was packed to the rafters during all of Kings XI Punjab's games in the IPL.

The last 50-over match played at the venue between India and Australia in October 2013 was watched by a near full audience.

However, poor turnouts for Tests has become bit of a trend at Mohali. In March 2013, when India played against Australia, sparse crowds graced the occasion.

Though more fans trickled in on Thursday as the day progressed, the stands were literally empty for the first two tours.

According to the PCA, around 3000 fans were present on the first day, a figure which is a bit hard to believe.

Anticipating a drop in spectator numbers, PCA implemented a considerable reduction in the ticket prices. Fans in the general fans could enjoy a day of Test cricket for just Rs 100. However, even this failed to enthuse the Mohali public.