Someone like Virat Kohli will welcome and embrace day-night Tests in Australia: Steve Waugh

Ever since India have agreed to play the day-night Test, Australian cricketers — both current and former — are excited to imagine a similar contest between their team and Virat Kohli’s side. There is a call for making one of the matches in India’s four-Test series Down Under next summer a day-night affair. Australia have played seven day-night Tests so far, winning all of them — the last being the one against New Zealand in Perth last month.

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh believes the 2020-21 Test series between Australia and India will be remembered for a long time, Calling the two sides as “two best” ones, he hoped that India played in a day-night Test during the tour.

The Australians’ eagerness is all the more expected since India beat them in Tests in their den last time they toured that country in 2018-19. It was the first-ever time that India won a Test series on Australian soil though the home team did not feature the likes of Steve Smith and David Warner who have shown magnificent batting forms since their return after the Sandpapergate ban.

“It is always a great series, Australia and India. It has become a tradition. I think it is going to be an outstanding series. Everyone is looking forward to it already. Look there is no doubt it (David and Steve) will make our team stronger,” India Today cited agencies as quoting Australia’s World Cup-winning captain as saying.

India will welcome challenge: Waugh

“But there is no doubt that India right now is the best all-round cricket side in the world, they will welcome that challenge. It will be a series that people will remember for a long time,” the 54-year-old Waugh, who has nearly 11k runs in Tests, said after reaching India ahead of the three-match ODI series between the home team and Australia beginning January 14.

It will be during the ODI series that a decision could be taken on whether or not India will play a day-night Test in Australia on their next tour. India thrashed Bangladesh within almost two days in their only day-night Test played in pink ball in November.

“It is a real challenge for teams to play day-night cricket in Australia. Someone like Virat Kohli will welcome and embrace it. If you are the best side in the world, you are expected to win against all opponents in all conditions. India probably needs to tick that box,” Waugh added.

India had shown reluctance to take part in a pink-ball Test before that and also turned down a proposal during their last tour of Australia. However, things changed once former India captain Sourav Ganguly took over as the Board of Control for Cricket in India president in October and he went for hosting India’s first-ever day-night Test in his hometown Kolkata.