Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland can use ICC meeting to convince India to use pink ball

A high powered ICC board meeting in Kolkata doubles as James Sutherland’s face to face shot at convincing India to embrace day-night Tests.

India's captain Virat Kohli raises his bat and helmet as he celebrates scoring a centuryin the second Test South Africa at Centurion, South Africa. Picture: AFP/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA

A HIGH-POWERED ICC board meeting in Kolkata concluding tomorrow is doubling as James Sutherland’s face-to-face shot at convincing India to embrace day-night Tests.

It’s not an agenda item but behind the scenes talks to break Indian opposition to a pink ball Tests are critical with protracted negotiations dogging Border-Gavaskar series planning. Cricket Australia boss Sutherland maintains host nations enjoy the right to decide Test playing conditions meaning India is notionally obliged to make history and front in a day-night Test at Adelaide Oval in December.

“As we’ve discussed at ICC level, it’s very much in the hands of the home country to make judgments on what they think is best,” said Sutherland.

An unnamed BCCI source quoted in the Times of India cited day-night Tests not being included in a future Test championship as a primary cause for India refusing to embrace the pink ball.

Cricket Australia will note that pink ball Test matches differ from traditional day Tests in playing condition not format, eliminating India’s main line of opposition to change.

The new Test championship to be played in a two-year cycle will be rubber-stamped along with the Future Tours program from 2019-23 by the ICC.

The Advertiser this month revealed Adelaide would host the first Test between Australia and India from December 6.

Cricket Australia featured in lengthy negotiations with New Zealand, South Africa and England before securing agreement to play day-night Tests to packed audiences in Adelaide.

Convincing India - cricket’s universal paymaster - to acquiesce will require all of Sutherland’s negotiation expertise.

India skipper Virat Kohli - boasting a higher brand value than soccer icon Lionel Messi - is used to getting his own way but Sutherland has a strong case.

“Certainly it’s pretty well telegraphed that from our perspective we’d be playing at least one day-night Test match every summer,” Sutherland told ABC Radio.

Both SACA and CA believe a day Test featuring India at Adelaide Oval will be popular with punters.

However new broadcast rights holder Foxtel and Channel 7 will prefer a day-night Test to ensure prime time ratings.

“We are proud to have led the way with day/night Test cricket in the past three seasons but we also know that a day Test against India would still be a massive success, if that’s the way it goes,” said SACA chief Keith Bradshaw.

Originally published as Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland can use ICC meeting to convince India to use pink ball