Day-night Test a landmark - Kohli

"I hope [Day-night Test matches] can be another option as well. I'm glad that two teams have agreed to play an official Test like that, as an experiment. So credit to Australia and New Zealand that they have decided to do this," says the India captain, as the Tasman rivals play the first day-night Test in Adelaide on Friday.

Published : Nov 24, 2015 17:44 IST , Nagpur

John Hastings bowls in a Sheffield Shield match with a pink ball at night in October, 2015. The first day-night Test is scheduled to be played between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
John Hastings bowls in a Sheffield Shield match with a pink ball at night in October, 2015. The first day-night Test is scheduled to be played between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
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John Hastings bowls in a Sheffield Shield match with a pink ball at night in October, 2015. The first day-night Test is scheduled to be played between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide Oval on Friday.

'The big boys play at night' was the catchword when Kerry Packer founded the World Series Cricket in the 1970s. Almost three-and-a-half decades later, the Tasman rivals, Australia and New Zealand, will play in the first ever day-night Test in Adelaide, beginning on November 27. Pink ball will be used in the Test.

India’s young captain Virat Kohli is clearly excited by the night Test and the use of pink ball. He is keen to see the way the match is played between Australia and New Zealand. "I've heard a few players giving feedback on playing with the pink ball. The only thing they were concerned about was during twilight hours when it is very hard to pick the ball. During the day it is fine, and during night it is okay as well. But when the floodlights are not sort of on, and when the sun is going down, is when they would find it difficult,’’ said Kohli.

'Credit to Australia and New Zealand'

Calling it a landmark Test, Kohli was of the view that it was a big step towards changing something in Test cricket and hoped that it works. "I hope it can be another option as well. I'm glad that two teams have agreed to play an official Test like that, as an experiment. So credit to Australia and New Zealand that they have decided to do this. Hopefully, it will be better for the game. It might be a step that we will all remember a few years down the lane, let’s hope so," he said.

Kohli said these are exciting times, then, for Test cricket. "If it’s officially put into place, it will be something different. As cricketers we all should be willing to accept the need to step forward and contribute to the game, however possible. If this is a step towards improving the excitement and popularity of Test cricket then I think every team should be in for it. Once the experiment works, it might be a landmark in itself."

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