India have refused to play a day-night test match in Adelaide during their tour of Australia later in the year, Cricket Australia has confirmed. Had India agreed, the match would have been played under lights with a pink ball, something India have avoided in their test itinerary thus far.
India is one of only two current Test-playing nations to avoid playing pink ball cricket at the international level, with Bangladesh being the other. Australia, on the other hand, have played four pink-ball Tests and have managed to win all of them, including the historic first game against New Zealand in Adelaide in 2015.
The ICC Playing Conditions note that a home nation can only host a day-night Test match "with the agreement of the Visiting Board" and with India having refused the offer, the match will now be played with a traditional red ball as is the case in normal conditions.
Australia will be without their two main players, Steven Smith and Daqvid Warner for the series, who are currently suspended after being proven guilty for their involvement in a ball-tampering incident.
India have never won a test series in Australia and with the hosts' dominance under lights, found it prudent to call-off the arrangement so as not to hamper their chances of a first series win down under. India will tour Australia from November 21 to January 19 with four Tests, three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day games on the schedule.
"We can confirm that we have received advice from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that it is not prepared to participate in a proposed Day-Night Test in Adelaide this summer," a CA spokesperson told the official website.
"Whilst we appreciate some Adelaide fans may be disappointed, we know how popular the Adelaide Test is and look forward to hosting India there in December.
"We are committed to hosting at least one Day-Night Test each home summer as part of our continued focus to grow Test cricket, and we are excited about the Day-Night Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in January."
