Former India opener Aakash Chopra has opined that Team India have erred in agreeing to play a day-night Test to start the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia. He reasoned India’s lack of experience against pink ball under lights behind his claim.
Team India have played just one day-night Test that too on home soil against Bangladesh which they won by an innings and 46 runs in Kolkata last year. Australia, on the other hand, have ample experience of day-night Test on their home soil.
Australia, who played against New Zealand in the first-ever day-night Test in 2015, are the most successful side in pink-ball cricket. So far, they have won each of their seven games under lights. Their record in pink-ball Test at Adelaide is impressive too. So far, they have played four day-night Tests at the Adelaide Oval and have won all of those encounters against New Zealand (2015), South Africa (2016), England (2017) and Pakistan (2019).
Aakash Chopra stated that India have thrown away their advantage in Adelaide by agreeing to play the day-night Test at the venue. He said that the game is slighted tilted in favour of the hosts because of their experience in pink-ball Tests.
“Adelaide has always been our best chance (to beat Australia) because of the similarities in pitch. But now with this being a pink-ball Test match, and the first match of the series, I think it’s slightly titled in favour of Australia because they have played a few pink ball games whereas for our boys its only going to be the second experience,” Aakash Chopra said on Sports Today’s YouTube channel.
“Someone like Rahane has had some success in the IPL 2020 but Pujara and Vihari have not played competitive cricket for 8 months. So when you look at the Adelaide Test from all those vantage points, I think things are going to be different and difficult.
“I feel Sydney is our best chance which is going to host the 3rd Test, Adelaide should have been a day Test, we should not have played the first pink ball Test of the series in Adelaide because that’s one place your handing over the advantage to the opposition,” he added.
Australia’s overall record at Adelaide Oval is impressive too. They have played 20 Tests at the venue and have won 14 while losing three. Incidentally, Australia’s last defeat in Adelaide had come against India during the last series between the two teams Down Under.