Kolkata: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday, October 29, agreed to play the second Test against India at Eden Gardens under lights and this will be the first Day-Night Test for both teams.
“Great opportunity and massive game in Eden Gardens against India, who also hasn’t played a D/N Test. It is new to both sides and it will probably bring the two teams together,” Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo said.
“Both teams not quite knowing what is going to happen, so it is a challenge we want to take. Some of our players were skeptical about it, but we are excited. We don’t know what brand of ball will be used, and we will probably have little time to prepare but we are excited by it.”
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is the man behind making this happen as he pushed the BCB to play under floodlights in a bid to pull crowds to the stadiums.
Ganguly met Kohli for the first time since becoming BCCI President at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai last Thursday, and it is believed the former India skipper had a word regarding Day-Night Tests.
The Indian team was earlier not keen on playing Day-Night Tests. India had previously dodged plans to play a pink-ball Test in Adelaide during their tour Down Under last year.
There was also reluctance on India’s part when a move to host a Day-Night Test against the West Indies at home was brushed under the carpet.
Ganguly has always backed pink ball Tests, even when he was the head of the BCCI’s technical committee in 2016-17. Ganguly had then recommended that domestic tournaments be played under lights.
