Tim Paine optimistic for Virat Kohli agreeing to play Day-Night Test in Australia

Tim Paine wants Indian skipper Virat Kohli to accept the challenge of playing the first Test at The Gabba when they will tour down under next summer. Australia are currently playing a two-match Test series with Pakistan at home. After the first Test win against Pakistan at The Gabba in Brisbane, the Australian skipper Tim Paine said they would like to play India in Brisbane first when they will tour next year.

It has always been the unofficial norm of starting off at The Gabba whenever a team tour to Australian soil until India’s last year tour where India started off the test series in Adelaide and also did not play a Test at The Gabba. When asked in the post-match press conference regarding India’s next year tour during Australian summer and their chances of playing India in Brisbane, Paine said, “We’ll certainly try and we’ll have to run that by Virat.”

“We’ll get an answer from him at some stage I’m sure. That’s where we like to start our summer and it has been like for a long time except for last summer. As I said we’ll ask Virat and see if we get his permission to play here and maybe even get a pink-ball test if he’s in a good mood. So we’ll wait and see,” the Tasmanian stated.

The Gabba advantage is what every Australian skipper prefers and it’s not only from the cricketing perspective but also regarding gaining a psychological edge. In the historic 2003-2004 Australian tour, India started off well in Brisbane, drawing the Test match which gave India the self-belief and they almost won the series.

When asked about The Gabba advantage, the Australian skipper reminded, “We like to start here against anyway. Having said that it doesn’t win us games of cricket. The reason we win games at the Gabba is because we outplay our opposition, that doesn’t change dependent on the venue, we said the same when we were in Edgbaston, at times the venue doesn’t matter, it’s about skill and execution but certainly we enjoy playing here which allows you to settle into games a little bit quicker.”

India won the last year’s test series 2-1 and Australia seems to have started playing mind games from now as they have witnessed the dominance of the Indian team over the last two years. All eyes are on Kohli and Indian team management, how they respond to Paine. In the World Test Championship, Australia are second on the points table with India at the top.