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Regular-article-logo Thursday, 25 April 2024

Eden set to host Day-Night Test

The series includes three T20Is and two Test matches

Indranil Majumdar Calcutta Published 27.10.19, 08:15 PM
Mohammed Shami during the CAB Super League final between Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore at Eden Gardens in June 2016, the first pink-ball multi-day game in India

Mohammed Shami during the CAB Super League final between Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore at Eden Gardens in June 2016, the first pink-ball multi-day game in India File Picture

Eden Gardens looks set to host India’s first Day-Night Test during the second match of the series versus Bangladesh, from November 22.

Sourav Ganguly, the newly elected president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has been pitching for Day-Night matches in a bid to boost crowd presence during Tests.

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Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), confirmed on Sunday that they have received an official request from the BCCI in this regard.

“Yes we have received an official request from the BCCI to play a D-N Test during the forthcoming series. We are in consultation with our team management and will decide in a day or two,” Chowdhury told The Telegraph.

Sources also revealed that the BCB has already told its players that they would have to play a D-N Test in India and have been asked to prepare accordingly.

Bangladesh’s conditioning camp for the tour is in full swing in Dhaka.

The series includes three T20Is and two Test matches.

“It’s true we have no experience of playing a D-N Test. But there has to be a beginning, and unless there are last-minute problems, we will send our consent to the BCCI in this regard. With Sourav at the helm, it’s very difficult to turn down his request,” a top BCB official said.

Sourav had brought up the topic during his one-on-one with Team India captain Virat Kohli at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai on Thursday. It was learnt that Virat wasn’t too keen, but agreed once Sourav managed to convince him that D-N Test was the way forward.

According to a source, the Team India captain was unwilling to take a risk since this series is part of the World Test Championship. Sourav’s argument was simple: The world’s No.1 ranked Test side can take such a chance against Bangladesh.

India successfully dodged plans to play a pink-ball Test in Adelaide during their tour Down Under last year. India’s reluctance to embrace the new concept was proved again when a move to host a D-N Test against the West Indies at home was scuttled after the team management aired reservations.

Their bone of contention was that the SG pink ball might not meet the required standards at home. The dew factor can also cause difficulties.

Australia and New Zealand took part in the inaugural D-N clash in 2015 in Adelaide.

Sourav had earlier told this newspaper: “Personally I am very much interested in D-N Tests… I’m a huge supporter of D-N Test matches. How can you continue with empty stands? I hope the D-N Tests are a solution that will bring the crowd back to the stadium. You don’t know till you try.”

Sourav has always been advocating pink-ball matches. As head of the BCCI’s technical committee in 2016-17, he had recommended that Duleep Trophy be played under lights.

With Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina likely to be present at the Eden, the D-N Test will assume greater significance.

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