It was earlier reported that with Sourav Ganguly taking over as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), India's stance with regards to playing day-night Test matches will change. And soon after taking the reins as the boss of the Indian cricket board, Ganguly revealed that Indian captain Virat Kohli is open to the idea. (More Cricket News)
On Sunday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed that the BCCI is eager to play a day-night Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata during the upcoming series. In that case, the iconic stadium could be host to India's first-ever day-night Test. However, the BCB is yet to consent to it.
"They (BCCI) have proposed (a Day-Night Test) and we will let them know after thinking a while," BCB cricket operation Chairman Akram Khan told reporters on Sunday.
"We have received the letter two or three days (back) and we will take a decision in this regard but we have not discussed it (yet). We will let them know about our decision within one or two days," he said.
Ganguly had earlier said that since Indian captain is agreeable, and India could be playing its first-ever Day-Night Test as soon as in the Bangladesh series.
The first Test will start on November 14 in Indore while the second is scheduled to be played at the Eden Gardens from November 22.
BCB chief Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that the board can take a decision only after getting players' and team management's consent. "At first we have to take the consent of the players and members of the team management about it. It is totally a technical matter (playing day-night Test from skill perspective) and we have to consider that there is preparation required to play a Test with a pink ball," he said according to Cricbuzz.
Before assuming office, Ganguly had made it clear that discussing the idea of the Indian team playing pink-ball cricket would definitely be on the top of his to-do-list.
"We will deal with it. It is too early for me to comment on how we will work on this, but let me take office and then we will discuss this with every member," he had explained.
Head coach Ravi Shastri had last year agreed to play Day-Night Tests against West Indies before deciding to inform the Committee of Administrators that the team wasn't ready and would need 12 to 18 months to prepare for the challenge of playing against the pink ball under lights.
Ganguly has always been vocal about how Day-Night Tests is the way forward and that this Indian team under Kohli has the arsenal to do well in the format.
"Day-night Test is the way forward. Every country has to play Day-Night Test, that's a long-term future for Test cricket. They (India) are a good side, they will win day-night Test matches also. There is no difference in day-night Test matches and day Tests. t's just a different ball. They are such class players, they can win," Ganguly had said.
The general notion was that not having to play Day-Night Tests in the ICC World Test Championship was one of the reasons why Shastri and skipper Kohli weren't too keen on playing Test matches under lights.
But Ganguly had pointed that it would be wrong to think that the Test championship wouldn't see matches played under lights.
"World Test Championship has Day-Night Test because Adelaide will host a pink-ball Test. I don't think it is the right call to say that World Test Championship wouldn't have day-night Tests," he had said.
In fact, a senior ICC official also had confirmed that there is an option of playing matches under lights in the World Test Championship if both teams agree to the idea.
The tour starts with a three-match T20I series, the first of which will be played on November 3. The Test series will be Bangladesh's first in the World Test Championship.
(With inputs from agencies)
