The Indian cricket board has refused to play a day-night Test during their tour of Australia later in the year. Their Australian counterparts wanted to host a pink ball Test, which is slowly becoming a part of their annual home calendar, but the Indians refused, citing apprehension from the players.
Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said India’s reluctance to play the day-night Test was mainly due to their desire to win a Test series Down Under for the first time and also because of the fact the Aussies have won every pink-ball Test they have played.
It all boils down to India not wanting to play a new form of cricket because they believe it will give Australia an advantage. If that is indeed the case, what’s wrong with that?
Playing conditions in bilateral series have to be agreed upon by both parties. Playing day-night Test cricket is a special circumstance as it is still being tried out at various corners of the globe. India are under no obligation to play day-night games, especially when there is a series at stake.
Make no mistake, India’s sole aim in the upcoming Test season is to win series in England and Australia; they were hammered 3-1 in England last time and have never won a Test series in Australia.
Such is the determination of the Indian management, they have allowed India captain Virat Kohli to forego Test captaincy during the Afghanistan Test in June to play county cricket in ahead of the five-Test series against England, which starts in August. Test mainstays Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma are currently playing county cricket and others are expected to be in country with the India ‘A’ team.
This time, the Indians sense an opportunity. The Test series against South Africa earlier in the year has given them belief that they can beat any opposition. They won the third Test against the Proteas on a Jo’burg pitch that was borderline unfit for cricket. They have the bowling attack to take 20 wickets fairly cheaply on most pitches and a young batting line-up that can score freely as well.
Mark Waugh on India's refusal to play day-night Test cricket "It's a little bit selfish from India's point of view because we need to revitalise Test cricket"
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) May 16, 2018
So why should India be expected jeopardise a golden opportunity of winning a series the ‘traditional way’ in a major Test playing nation? Australia have won a Test series in India. The Indians haven’t done that Down Under. The team needs it and so do its fans.
Let’s not forget that Australia are without their top two batsmen – Steve Smith and David Warner – after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. India know there is a major crack in the Aussie armour. Why should anyone expect the Indians to allow one Test of the series to be converted into a lottery, which is what pink ball Tests have become as the ball misbehaves alarmingly under lights and takes the batsmen almost completely out of the equation?
I am a supporter of pink ball Tests and believe the Indian team will embrace the idea some time in the near future. It is important as far as the future of Test cricket is concerned.
However, India can’t be accused of killing cricket because they didn’t play that one Test under lights in Australia. Kohli will want to first win a Test series in Australia to establish his legacy and that of the hugely talented Indian team and then worry about everything else later.
India might still end up losing the Test series. There are no guarantees in life. But whatever the reasoning behind India’s refusal to play day-night Test in Australia may be, it makes good sense from a strategic point of view. It might be a topic for debate for you and me, but for the handful of players in the Indian dressing room, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a series they have dreamed of their entire cricketing lives.
NOT ALL SELFISH
And anyhow, India are doing enough for the welfare of cricketers and cricket boards.
A galaxy of international players have achieved financial security because of a couple of stints in the IPL. India has provided Afghanistan a home base near its national capital to play matches at a proper venue.
The Sri Lankan cricket board doubled its revenue and increased its profits multiple times within 12 months mainly because India travelled for a full tour of the country in 2017. One full tour by India generates enough revenue to balance the books of many boards – be it Sri Lanka or South Africa – which in turn allows them to hold first-class matches and support grassroots cricket.
And yet it’s India fault…
