MUMBAI: The BCCI has rejected the entire premise and philosophy of Day/Night Tests and will not play the first of the four-Test series against Australia in Adelaide under lights.

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TOI has learnt that even as Cricket Australia (CA) is looking forward to hosting the Indian team for a day and night Test in Adelaide later this year, the BCCI has put its foot down on the very idea of playing five-day cricket under lights. This is simply because it doesn’t see any future for the concept.

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The ICC Test Championships, to be introduced after the 2019 ICC World Cup, has not included four-day Tests, pink-ball cricket or Day-Night Tests . Sources in the know of things said: “If the ICC board has completely disregarded it, why should the onus be on the BCCI to participate in the concept?”

India have also decided to do away with the idea of hosting a day-night Test against the West Indies in October this year. “The BCCI doesn’t see any point in pursuing with the idea of a day-night Test at all,” sources added.

The BCCI’s Tours and Fixtures Committee had zeroed in on Rajkot as the venue that will host the first of the two Tests against the West Indies in October under lights. The idea was for the players to gain some kind of experience playing with the pink ball under lights. “The idea was to set a precedent but now there’s no need for it. There’s no need for any practice either because India is neither going to play the Adelaide Test under lights nor any (such matches) in the future,” said those in the know of developments.

Adelaide happens to be one of Team India’s favourite overseas venues and given the fact that the Oval there will play host to the first Test of the series, it will suit the cricketers to play a regular Test instead of facing the pink ball under lights.

TOI has also learnt that on Australia tour, India will play their first practice match in SCG, one of the venues to host a Test during the series. Unlike previous tours, when university grounds were handed over for practice ties, the Indian team management insisted on a proper Test venue to warm up.

