India will not play day-night Test during tour down under, BCCI informs Cricket Australia

New Delhi: The BCCI 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 Indian board has made it clear that they will not deviate from the traditional red-ball matches. [caption id=“attachment_4436641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] 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 6-10 December 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 day-night 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.