Australia urges India not to oppose D/N Tests

ADELAIDE: Australia’s cricket chief Friday urged India to reconsider its opposition to Day-Night (D/N) Tests with crowd numbers hurt by their refusal to play under lights in Adelaide.

Cricket Australia had originally penciled in the ongoing opening Test of the current series as a pink-ball match, but India baulked at the idea. The Indians, who are the world’s top-ranked team, have yet to play a day-night Test and they did not want to risk their first one during such a high-profile series.

In day-night Tests over the past three years, Adelaide’s opening-day crowds numbered around 47,000, 32,000 and 55,000. But on Thursday only 24,000 passed through the turnstiles, which new CA chief executive Kevin Roberts blamed on fewer interstate visitors who would have come for the night-time spectacle.