'We are ready for the challenge' - Virat Kohli on the prospect on playing overseas Day/Night Tests

India recently made its Pink Ball Test debut when it staged its first-ever Day-Night Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It turned out to be a magnanimous affair with more than 50,000 fans turning upon each day of the marquee Test match. India has, in the past, been reluctant about playing Test cricket under lights. The team-management had refused Cricket Australia’s proposal of playing a Day/Night Test at the Adelaide Oval during their 2018-19 tour Down Under.

But, ever since Sourav Ganguly has taken over the Presidentship of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, winds of change have been blowing in Indian cricket, and with the Men in Blue have already embraced Pink-ball cricket in their own backyard, Cricket Australia is confident that it can convince its Indian counterparts of playing one or even two Day-Night Tests during their trip to Australia for a 4-match Test series at the end of the year. 

The Indian captain, Virat Kohli was asked about the prospect of playing D/N Tests overseas and he had a clear-cut answer for it. “We played the day & night test here (India), we are happy with how it went. It has become a very exciting feature of any test series, we are open to playing day & night tests. We are ready for the challenge,” Kohli told in Mumbai as quoted by Hindustan Times.

India are scheduled to lock horns with Australia for a three-match ODI series

Kohli had in the past iterated that he and the team-management is open to anything, provided it is well-planned and properly scheduled.

“I think it depends on when the Test happens. One can be a normal red ball practice game and then, a pink ball practice game before the pink Test. If it is the second or third Test in the tournament, I would ideally like a break to practice. It can’t be two practice games and the Test is actually the third game.” Kohli had said in the aftermath of India’s maiden Pink Ball Test back in November.

While the Australian cricket team is in India for the 3-match ODI series, so are its administrators- and also the New Zealand counterparts-  who will be holding a meeting with Sourav Ganguly and the BCCI where a major decision could be taken on the prospect of the Men in Blue featuring in the Day-Night Tests during their tour of Trans-Tasman countries in the near future.

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