Why India refused to play Day-Night Test in Australia

The Indian team management, headed by coach Ravi Shastri, intimated the Committee of Administrators that the team will take at least 18 months to prepare for the Day-Night Test.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has officially informed Cricket Australia that India will not play any Day-Night Test match on their tour Down Under at the end of this year.

While Cricket Australia were insistent on having a pink ball Test, which has been a convention for all touring teams for the past few years but the BCCI has made it clear that they will not deviate from the traditonal red-ball matches.

With Indian team management, headed by chief coach Ravi Shastri, intimating the Committee of Administrators (COA) that the team will take at least 18 months to prepare for the Day-Night Test, acting secretary Choudhary was told to pass on the message to CA chief executive James Sutherland.

CA wanted the opening Test at Adelaide from December 6-10 to be a pink ball Test match.

"I am directed to say by the Committee of Administrators that India would begin to play in the format only in about a year's time. Under the circumstances, I regret to say that the proposed D/N test cannot be played and all tests will have to have the conventional structure," Choudhary wrote in his e-mail to Sutherland.

Last week, Sutherland had told a radio station in Australia that India's reluctance to play the pink ball Test was primarily because of their urge to win the series. Australia has not lost a single Test match under lights played at home.

On the other hand, among Indian players, only Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay have played Day-Night pink ball matches in Duleep Trophy.

Cricket Australia confirmed that the Adelaide Test against India will not be a day-night affair after the latter expressed reservations over playing with pink ball.

The current ICC Playing Conditions stipulate that a day-night Test match can be held only 'with the agreement of the visiting Board'.

"We can confirm that we have received advice from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that it is not prepared to participate in a proposed Day-Night Test in Adelaide this summer," a CA spokesperson said.

"Whilst we appreciate some Adelaide fans may be disappointed, we know how popular the Adelaide Test is and look forward to hosting India there in December. We are committed to hosting at least one Day-Night Test each home summer as part of our continued focus to grow Test cricket, and we are excited about the Day-Night Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in January."