Cricket Australia is trying to persuade the BCCI to get India to play more than one day-night Test when they next tour Down Under in 2020-21.
India had turned down the opportunity to play a pink-ball Test in their previous tour to Australia in 2018, but, after a thumping win in their maiden day-night Test against Bangladesh in November, CA hopes that they could push the envelope further with their Indian counterparts.
“Pleasingly they’ve played their first day-night Test and won easily. Now they’ve got through that it might give them the right build-up to it over here, ” said Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings.
If things go as per plan, cricket fans might be able to see #Australia and #India engage in two day-night Tests in 2021. If that happens, India's tour of Australia could become the first series ever to feature more than one #pinkballTest.
— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) December 6, 2019
Photo: IANS pic.twitter.com/3wm41VIuB4
“I’ve got no doubt they’ll consider playing one and maybe even more day-night Test matches. But that’s down the track to when we catch up with them in January.”
Newly elected BCCI President Sourav Ganguly also acknowledges that after making their dashing debut under lights at the Eden Gardens, there will be new proposals from the host country whenever India tour.
“When we tour, we will deal as per the request of the [host] board, ” said Ganguly.
Cricket: BCCI President SouravGanguly wants TeamIndia to play PinkBallTest in every series. pic.twitter.com/BFsvKN1yxg
— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) December 4, 2019
CA officials are expected to meet the Indian board during the ODI series between India and Australia in January and the number of day-night Tests will be one of the main points of discussion.
Australia is also keen on playing a five-Test series against the top-ranked team in the ICC rankings just like they do in the Ashes.
They are also willing to consider stretching the Test series which would usually conclude in the first week of January, further into 2021.
“Still working through that, it’s a normal tour in that they’re playing four Test matches, we’ve got one against Afghanistan,” Earl Eddings said. “Ideally we want to be playing five Tests against India, hopefully in the future we can do that as well.”
