It's unanimous: Day-night Test is here to stay after successful Adelaide experiment

Who knew that starting a Test match late in the day and changing the color of the ball from red to pink would make Test cricket turn a corner. But the first ever day-night Test at Adelaide between Australia and New Zealand might have done just that. Test cricket, the sport’s oldest and most revered format, has been losing popularity among viewers. Empty stadiums, long, drawn out matches overshadow the quality of the game. Cricket’s youngest offspring, T20s, came to the fore and offered fast-paced consumption of cricket. Questions over the future of Test cricket began to loom. But then, over 47,000 people turned up at the Adelaide Oval on the first day of the first ever day-night Test. For the first time, there was ‘Dinner’ and not ‘Lunch’, and ‘Tea’ came before. The pink ball, the night sky, spectators loved it all. It was an experiment, and it was overwhelmingly successful. [caption id=“attachment_2527184” align=“aligncenter” width=“825”] The first ever day-night Test was a huge success. AFP[/caption] There was a bit of scepticism heading into the match — some raised concerns about the behaviour of the pink ball, some just didn’t want things to change. Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) chief Tony Irish had said one really shouldn’t “mess too much” with Test cricket. “Test cricket is seen as the pinnacle format by the majority of international players. The fact that players value it so highly is critical to its survival as a format around the world,” he had said. But surprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be any mess. Over 1,23,000 people, who turned up across three days at Adelaide are a testimony to that, not to forget the millions who watched it on television. Ratings reached record highs as 3.19 million viewers in Australia alone tuned in for the pink-ball Test. The day-night experiment found approval not just among the fans, but also within the cricketing world. Players, commentators, coaches, experts embraced the new-look Test. New Zealand captain Brendan McCullum called it a ‘roaring success’. “It’s a great concept. Overall, it’s a roaring success – 120,000 people turning up over three days. People are voting with their feet. I think it’s here to stay, which is great,” he said after the match. Australia captain Steve Smith too hailed the experiment. “The whole Test match was a great innovation, it was a great spectacle, and to get 120,000 people through the gates in three days is absolutely amazing.” Former Australian vice-captain and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin termed it “a massive success” and Ian Chappell too praised the “worthwhile experiment”. Shane Warne even requested Cricket Australia on Twitter to make the Boxing Day Test against West Indies a day-night affair. In the longer run, Courtney Walsh believes that day-night Test might just be the thing that could revive Test cricket in the Caribbean. “I would love to see that happen (day-night Test in the West Indies). For us, because of the work and the economy, we might get more support to come and watch cricket at night. I’d love to see them give it a try,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying. Cricket’s governing body ICC seems to have got the message — there must be more of it! “Although day/night Tests will not be feasible at every venue, it certainly provides a new dimension for players, spectators, broadcasters and fans alike and it is here to stay. We need to make sure we take all the learnings we can from this first match, identify what has worked well and what needs improving, and make sure that future day/night Tests are as good, if not better,” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said after the successful Adelaide experiment. In the world of cricket, it’s hard to find people unanimous on anything. Be it the pitch or the rules, there’s always divisive opinion. But this time around, they have all spoken in one voice. Surely, this is a good sign. With the day-night experiment, it seems Test cricket is well equipped to avoid a dark future.