The Gabba is likely to host the Test series opener between Australia and India next summer, while one of the four matches is set to be played under lights.
India are set to return to the Gabba next summer and have agreed to play a day-night Test against Australia.
Virat Kohli’s men bypassed Brisbane, where Australia haven’t lost a Test since 1988, during their previous visit.
India also opted against playing a pink-ball match in 2018-19 while recording their first Test series win in Australia.
Cricket Australia has recently been negotiating with the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) regarding next summer’s itinerary, when the teams ranked first and second on the world Test championship table clash in a four-Test series.
The BCCI is now set to give the green light for a day-night Test during the tour, which will almost certainly be at Adelaide Oval, while Brisbane will host the first Test of the series.
“A formal announcement will come soon but we have decided to play a day-night test in Australia,” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly told Monday’s edition of the Times of India newspaper.
“We will also play one against England at home next February. Day-night Tests will be a regular feature from now on.”
Australia, desperate to atone for their Border–Gavaskar series loss in which suspended superstars Steve Smith and David Warner were sorely missed, are undefeated in seven pink-ball Tests.
Kohli made it clear last month his team were “ready and up for the challenge” of day-night Test cricket in Australia.
“We played the day-night Test here (in 2019 at Eden Gardens), we were very happy with how it went,” Kohli said.
“It’s become a very exciting feature of any series, so we are absolutely open to play a day-night Test.”
Kohli added “it doesn’t matter to us”, when dismissing the notion India were reluctant to play at the Gabba.
Tim Paine’s team have made no secret of the fact they would prefer to start every series at the Gabba, where countless touring teams have failed to adjust to its pace and bounce.
“We’ll certainly try but we’ll have to run that by Virat,” Paine quipped earlier this summer, when asked about the prospect of playing the first Test in Brisbane.
“See if we can get his permission.
“I’m sure we’ll get an answer from him at some stage.”
If the Gabba is locked in to host India then Perth’s Optus Stadium will miss out on hosting a Test next season.
Australia will likely play a one-off Test against lowly-ranked Afghanistan in Perth, but at the WACA rather than the new venue.
Vikram
Guest
just wanted to inform .. Indian domestic teams had played some daynight matches too
Totally agree that someone will beat us at Brisbane soon enough. I can only see South Africa doing us there tbh, possibly England summer after next if Jofra Archer is in fine form.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
Seems after 1 series win against Aussie b squad, India has call it a day. Wonder when they want their next series win in Australia. 3019 may be?
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Not reluctant to play in Australia, just parts of it. Someone has to knock us off at the Gabba eventually. The Windies had their Bridgetown fortress stormed by England in 1994 after 50ish years undefeated. Kohli should embrace the challenge. Surely a stump prised from the Gabba turf would be the most prized of all.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Perth would be understandably a bit annoyed by this, after CA came out and said Brisbane had dropped back in the pecking order - a few years later and nothing has changed there except there's a large dirty hole across the road where the station will one day be, and somehow the Gabba is back in the mix. The simplest explanation is surely player power, as the article alludes to. The players want to start the series at the Gabba because they win a lot at the Gabba. If Brisbane can't draw a decent crowd for India at the Gabba during the day it's going to backfire badly though.
Kalva44
Guest
India's never been reluctant to play in Australia. Ever since they started playing 4 Test series, matches have rotated between Brisbane and Perth..Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne are definites for the better crowds. Good thing about the planned itinerary is that the Aussies will finally have nothing to complain about after failing next season.
AREH
Roar Guru
We may have seen it only last month through the One-Day series
Nanda
Guest
In an ideal world India , Australia tests should be a 5 match series. However given that Melbourne and Sydney are locks and day night is more likely to be at Adelaide, it was always between Perth and Brisbane for the 4 th test. I would suggest that India might have preferred Perth as they have had some success rather than Brisbane where no team has won the first test in close to 3 decades. I am sure Virat would have been consulted and the fact that India has accepted to start with Brisbane may show a level of confidence in the team. Although I am not holding my breath on India doing well there.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Look forward to going to see a test again at the WACA if I'm honest. :thumbup:
Damo
Guest
Would love to know the concessions made by CA given: 1) India's reluctance to play there in the past 2) Day night match in Perth would have been almost perfect for Indian tv viewing