Team India.
(Photo Source – Twitter/BCCI)
With Rohit Sharma’s India preparing to face Australia in a day-night Test at Adelaide Oval starting December 6, the team’s pink ball journey has been like a rollercoaster. From their first historic clash to memorable victories, India’s experience with day-night Tests has been full of emotions.
India’s pink ball Test stint began in November 2019 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata against Bangladesh. Led by Virat Kohli, who became the first Indian to score a century in a day-night Test, the team dominated the game. Ishant Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, claiming nine wickets across two innings and helping India secure a comfortable innings and 46-run victory.
Meanwhile, the 2020 Adelaide Test is still considered a forgettable memory for Indian cricket fans. After a good start, the team suffered its lowest-ever Test total of 36, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood dismantling the batting lineup. However, the visitors bounced back in the series, ultimately winning 2-1 and retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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The day-night Test against England at Narendra Modi Stadium in February 2021 was another example of India’s brilliance. In what became one of the shortest Test matches in history, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin wreaked havoc with their spin, bundling out England for a combined total of 193 runs and registering a 10-wicket victory.
In March 2022, India continued their pink ball success against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. Shreyas Iyer’s crucial performances with the bat, along with Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling, saw India clinch a massive 238-run victory.
While they have won 3 out of 4 day-night Tests, Australia remain undefeated, having won 11 of their 12 day-night Test matches. Interestingly, India who have won three out of four of their Pink Ball Tests has a 75% winning percentage. The side also began their Pink Ball preparation by playing a 50-over game against Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra and secured a six-wicket win.