New Delhi:
India are currently dominating the World Test Championship with seven straight wins. With 360 points, they are comfortably ahead of the rest of the pack with Australia a distant second with 176 points. The ICC World Test Championship cycle will feature teams playing a total of six Test series - three at home and three away and the top two teams will square off in the final at Lord's in 2021. Looking at the early trends, Australia and India seem to be the two teams who will play the final at Lord's. India play two overseas Test series in New Zealand and Australia in 2020 with a five-match series scheduled against England. India play two Tests in New Zealand while they play four Tests Down Under. Cricket Australia has been behind the BCCI for playing at least one Test with the Pink Ball and Cricket Australia believes Virat Kohli's side can be easily convinced.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts said, "I absolutely believe we should be playing one pink-ball Test in the Indian series next year. India to their credit are doing very well in this World Test Championship, and it's highly likely that they will make the final in 2021. I suspect that will make it easier to schedule a day-night Test next season if India have relative certainty of making the WTC final, then there is less reason not to play a day-night Test and more reason to play one," Roberts said.
The idea of hosting a pink ball game in India was the brainchild of Ganguly and Roberts said the match showed that the country is opening up towards Day/Night Test. "Also with Sourav Ganguly coming into the presidency of the BCCI, he's been very proactive in scheduling the first day-night Test in India, and we saw that was a sellout in three days, which is very different to what the previous day series have looked at in terms of ticket sales. There is an openness from India and an understanding that it is good for cricket," Roberts said.
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India had started their tour of Australia at Adelaide in the previous series, while the hosts always wants to play the first Test of a major series at the Gabba, where they haven't lost since 1988 and Roberts said getting India to Gabba shouldn't be a problem. "I don't see India being opposed to that, there is a lot to work through. But I don't see India being opposed to any venue." Australia is keen to host two Pink-ball Tests against India, an idea which was shot down by Ganguly, saying it was a "bit too much".
