Shane Warne believes India has missed a ‘trick’ and is worried by Australia and the pink ball

Shane Warne believes India’s refusal to play a day/night Test in Adelaide this week is both a missed opportunity and a concession they are worried about Australia’s pace attack.

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SHANE Warne believes India’s refusal to play a day/night Test in Adelaide this week is both a missed opportunity and a concession they are worried about Australia’s pace attack.

Warne, who famously took four wickets in the second innings of his last ever Test in Adelaide against England in 2006, said India could have skittled Australia’s fragile batting with the pink ball under lights.

But he says their steadfast refusal to play the Aussies in the popular new timeslot also shows they are wary of what might be coming back their way.

Test cricket under lights at Adelaide Oval in 2015 between Australia and New Zealand.

“I think India might have missed a trick. With their bowling attack against Australia’s batting, a day/night Test when the ball is moving around they could have knocked Australia over with their fragile batting pretty easy,” Warne said.

“So I think they might have missed a trick there and thought ‘oh Adelaide Oval we want it flat and just all make runs’. Well you’ve got to win a Test match, it’s not just about making runs. And if you look at the teams on paper you would think India’s bowlers against Australia’s batters would dominate them under lights.”

He said their reluctance may point to some doubts the Australians could exploit. “Maybe there are a few doubts against Australia’s bowling attack which is so good, they might have been really worried about that,” he said.

Adelaide day-night Tests have favoured Australia, including the last one against England.

The second-highest wicket taker in Test history said Cricket Australia should have put its foot down and insisted on a fourth consecutive day/night Test in Adelaide, which would have cemented the tradition.

“It’s really disappointing there’s no Adelaide day/night Test because I thought it was a success the last few years,” he said. “It captures the imagination because it’s something a bit different and Adelaide is the best city in the world to do it.?”

Earlier this week SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw said ticket sales for the Adelaide Test were down compared to previous years, saying the day-night decision and train cancellations were factors.

A section of Indian supporters during the 2014 Test in Adelaide.

But he expected overall crowds to exceed the 113,000 who attended Australia v India at the oval in 2014.

■ Shane Warne, a key member of the Fox Cricket commentary team, found himself on the front, back and inside pages of the papers throughout his career and was firm in his call for Adelaide boy Travis Head to be on Page 1, ahead of his first Test on home soil.

Warnie’s tick for Oval hotel bid

By Reece Homfray

The $42m hotel proposal for Adelaide Oval has the backing of Shane Warne, who says he has seen a similar project be successful in the UK.

Warne yesterday threw his support behind the bid to build a 128-room boutique hotel adjacent to the oval, providing it was tastefully designed and did not detract from the picturesque ground.

An artist’s impression of the proposed hotel at the Adelaide Oval.

“I think it’s good, I’ve seen it in Hampshire where I was captain at Rose Bowl, which is now the Ageas Bowl,” Warne said.

“I saw the development of the ground, with new stands and a hotel, and now the facility welcomes a whole community — they have functions down there and weddings — opposition football and cricket teams stay there; so there’s a real sense of community.

“I’m sure the design team — you wouldn’t have thought Adelaide Oval could look better than it used to but they enhanced that with the new stands — so if you get some clever architects and with restrictions on what it must look like, I think it would be great.”

The hotel proposal, to be financed by a State Government loan, has divided public opinion, with some concerned about impact on the Parklands and city hotels.

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Originally published as Shane Warne believes India has missed a ‘trick’ and is worried by Australia and the pink ball