“We have decided that we will play one day-night Test match”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

India will hold a day-night Test against New Zealand later this year, according to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur.

Thakur confirmed that a pink Kookaburra ball will be used for the match even though there have been concerns about its durability and visibility.

While the inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide last November proved to be a huge success, many players, including South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers, have voiced their concerns about day-night Tests.

Prior to the scheduled day-night Test against New Zealand, Thakur confirmed that the pink ball will be trialled in the Duleep Trophy.

“We have decided that we will play one day-night Test match with pink ball against New Zealand later this year,” Thakur said. “Before that, Duleep Trophy will act as a dress rehearsal for the day-night Test match.

“While we have not zeroed in on the venue, there are lots of factors that need to be taken into account. Things like dew factor, how the spinners bowl with the pink Kookaburra on Indian pitches. These things we will get an idea [of] during the Duleep Trophy.”

India normally use SG balls when playing on home soil, but Thakur believes that a pink SG ball could be used in the future should India continue to host day-night Tests.

“We may ask SG to manufacture pink balls later but that has to be of the quality of pink balls that Kookaburra produces,” he said.