Adelaide pushing for day-night Test against India next summer
With India touring next summer, a day-night Test in Adelaide would appear to be a no-brainer. But it’s not that simple.
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South Australian Cricket Association chief executive Keith Bradshaw believes a bumper Pakistan pink ball crowd should lock in a day-night India Test next year but backroom machinations threaten Adelaide’s coveted fixture.
SACA wants a ‘level playing field’ to determine allocation of four Border-Gavaskar Tests next year. There are fears Indian skipper Virat Kohli won’t accept the scheduling of both a Gabba Test and pink ball fixture in the same summer despite Adelaide’s unrivalled record as the home of day-night Tests.
“We are in discussions with Cricket Australia regarding hosting an India Test next season. We do want to host India again and the icing on the cake would be if they played a day-night Test here at Adelaide Oval” said Bradshaw with a final fixture decision expected in March.
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“Adelaide Oval is a proven traditional home of Test cricket, it should be a first choice when scheduling Australia-India Tests. We pioneered day-night Test cricket and do it really well. “We have a beautiful venue, passionate crowds and loyal support, the player and fans love it, the pitch rating is high.”
Bradshaw wants a transparent process as Cricket Australia decides which of Adelaide, Perth or Brisbane miss an India Test next year and cops an undesirable Afghanistan Test in November. Australia hasn’t lost at the Gabba for 31 years but Bradshaw insists Adelaide’s blockbuster, highest per capita attendances should automatically command a day-night Test against India.
“It is not (financial) bidding but we are still having to continue to pitch and push our credentials. We have best venue in Australia that ticks all the boxes but we have to push really hard,” Bradshaw told The Advertiser.
Adelaide’s inaugural 2015 day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand attracted a non-Ashes record 123,000 attendance while fans continued to support the concept when South Africa and England followed for pink ball affairs. Brisbane’s meagre first Test crowd of 45,000 will be wiped in just two days of the second (day-night) Test featuring Pakistan starting Friday in Adelaide.
“Whatever the final attendance, I know there will be more people watching at the ground and on TV than there would be if the Test against Pakistan was played during the day,” Bradshaw said.
Australian skipper Tim Paine has already noted Australia’s summer schedule runs to the beat of Kohli’s drum after declining a pink ball initiation and avoiding a Gabba Test during last summer’s tour here.
Kohli believes pink-ball Tests are more novelty than mainstay. The Indian skipper also wants a day-night practice match before any pink ball Test next year. This demand could complicate the summer schedule and Adelaide’s pink ball slot.
“I understand the caution from some players but my view is that there will be more and more day-night cricket in the future, it makes sense,” said Bradshaw.
“The fans want it.”
However, Bradshaw is encouraged by support for the pink-ball concept from Indian Cricket Board president Sourav Ganguly and success of the inaugural day-night Test between Kohli’s unit and Bangladesh at Eden Gardens last week.