India agree to open summer series at Gabba and play a day-night Test elsewhere

Brisbane is set to host the opening match of a huge summer series against the world no.1 side, with one of the four matches to be played under lights, as India agree to face Gabba’s 30-year hoodoo for visiting sides head on.

Australia have an incredible record at the Gabba, with three decades of undefeated fixtures.

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The Gabba appears to have won the hotly contested shoot-out to host the prized first Test against India next summer but a push to make it a day-night contest appears doomed.

The Apex Council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India met in Delhi on the weekend and, according to Cricinfo, have agreed to play the first Test at the Gabba in December.

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Cricket Australia sources said on Monday they were waiting to receive official notification of the decision.

There will be a day-night Test in the next Australia v India series, but likely not at Perth.

Brisbane had been jostling with Perth and Adelaide but Perth now seems likely to miss out on one of the four Indian Tests with Sydney and Melbourne certain hosts over the Christmas-New Year period.

The Gabba bid was strongly supported by Australia’s players who feel the venue brings out the best in their game despite the fact the redevelopment of Adelaide and the new stadium in Perth have left it in the shade.

Australia have an incredible record at the Gabba, with three decades of undefeated fixtures.

Australia’s proud record of never having lost a Brisbane Test for three decades also counted in the venue’s favour in the Australian push to have it open the summer.

It is a sign of India’s increased confidence as the world’s No 1 nation that they will tackle this hoodoo head-on.

Australia wanted two day-night Tests in the four-Test series but India are understood to have said they will play only one which is likely to be in Adelaide.

India refused to play a pink ball Test on their last visit but have warmed to the concept since then.

Indian cricket has a progressive look under new BCCI president Sourav Ganguly who is keen for his Test team to play more day-night games.

But when asked recently if India would play two day-night Tests in Australia, Ganguly responded “Two out of four would be a bit too much with the pink ball”.

India played their first day-night Test only this summer, against Bangladesh in Kolkata.

Virat Kohli’s influence is enormous, and the Gabba date almost certainly needed his blessing.

Influential Indian captain Virat Kohli said recently his team was happy to play a day-night Test in Australia so long as they had time to prepare.

“It’s become a very exciting feature of any Test series and we’re open to playing day-night Tests,’’ Kohli said.

“We’re ready and up for the challenge - whether it’s Gabba, Perth … it doesn’t matter to us. We have the skill sets as a team now to compete against anyone in the world, anywhere, in any format of the game, whether it’s white ball, red ball or pink ball, we’re ready to play anything.”

Originally published as India agree to open summer series at Gabba and play a day-night Test elsewhere