Lights out on Adelaide day-night Test after India refuses to play with pink ball
ADELAIDE Oval’s lights will be off when India starts its Down Under Test tour in December after its board refused to play ball on a day-night Test.
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ADELAIDE Oval’s lights will be off when India starts its Down Under Test tour in December after its board refused to play ball on a day-night Test.
Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday that the Test from December 6-10 would be played during the day after India’s board advised it was not ready to play with a pink ball.
“We can confirm that we have received advice from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that it is not prepared to participate in a proposed day-night Test in Adelaide this summer. As a result, we can now confirm this Test match will be a day format,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.
“Whilst we appreciate some Adelaide fans may be disappointed, we know how popular the Adelaide Test is and look forward to hosting India there in December.
“We are committed to hosting at least one day-night Test each home summer as part of our continued focus to grow Test cricket, and we are excited about the day-night Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in January.”
Australia has been successful in all three day-night Tests in Adelaide against New Zealand, South Africa and England and Cricket Australia was keen for the opening Test of the Indian series to once again be a pink ball Test match.
India experimented with pink ball cricket in its Duleep Trophy domestic championship in 2016 but administrators have been wary about playing at international level.
SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw said the benefits of hosting the world’s most popular Test team at Adelaide Oval outweighed the loss of the day-night fixture.
“We would love, down the track, to host India in a day-night Test match at Adelaide Oval,” Mr Bradshaw said.
“We are, however, also positive that our Test match next summer will still be a big winner with SACA members and cricket fans.
“It will be Australia’s first home Test of the season – against the world No 1 ranked Test side India – and there will be enormous interest both here and abroad.
“The last time India played a Test at Adelaide Oval, in 2014, 113,009 fans attended across the five days – a venue record for Tests against India.
“With a Thursday start and then a full weekend of cricket, we are confident we will set another record next summer.”
Tickets for all men’s international matches will go on sale from June 8.
Originally published as Lights out on Adelaide day-night Test after India refuses to play with pink ball