Reports: BCCI unlikely to host day-night Pink-ball Test against Australia

It's unlikely that India will host another Pink Ball Test anytime soon. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is opposed to it since they have realized the negative aspect of the matter. The BCCI's resistance is indicated by the fact that there won't be a day/night Test against Australia when they tour India in February-March 2023.

The four-match Test series against Australia will be the final series for both sides, in the ongoing World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle. Of the four games, one game was supposed to be a day-night affair. It was being said that the Ahmedabad Test would likely be a Pink Ball game as the venue has previously hosted England for a day-nighter.

However, the idea was ultimately scrapped. The Australians have played 11 day-night Test matches to date, and boast a 100% win record in the Pink Ball games.

"It is up to the BCCI, we have no say on this," a CA spokesman told CricBuzz while speaking on the matter.

The reason why BCCI is opposed to the idea of a Pink Ball Test is the duration of the game. Records indicate that Pink Ball Tests haven't been successful, especially in India, where none of the matches, whether they were against Bangladesh in Kolkata, England in Ahmedabad, or Sri Lanka in Bangalore, lasted till the fifth day of the game. The three games, in actuality, lasted three, two, and three days, respectively.

Statistics show that just six out of 20 day-night tests conducted worldwide made it to the fifth day. Two of these games even ended in two days. The board representative made no mention of the complaints from the stakeholders, but it is clear that they are also dissatisfied with the early conclusion of the games, which are traditionally supposed to be played five days.

"It leads to a lot of issues, particularly with the public who would purchase tickets for five days," said a BCCI official, on the sidelines of the IPL auction, which concluded on Friday (December 23) evening in Kochi.