The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has accepted the proposal of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to play a day-night Test in Kolkata during the Tigers' tour to the neighbouring country for a three-match T20 and two-match Test series, reports agencies.
The Kolkata Test will begin on November 22.
Bangladesh, like India, have not played a pink-ball Test match since the concept saw the light of the day in November 2015. India were proposed to play day-night Tests before but they refused to do so. But this time, newly-appointed BCCI President Sourav Ganguly proposed the day-night Test to Bangladesh.
"It's a great opportunity to adapt to the day-night Test. India have never played a day-night Test before like us. So, it'll be same for both the teams," Russell Domingo, the head coach of Bangladesh team, told the media on Tuesday evening at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur in the city.
Incidentally, the pink ball debuted in India at the Eden Gardens in 2016 during the CAB Super League final of 2016. Subsequently, BCCI turned the four-day Duleep Trophy competition into a pink-ball tournament at the start of 2016 with an eye on eventually playing a D/N Test match in India.
Concerns about the lack of spin and reverse swing on offer with the pink ball remained as the the tournament continued to be played with the pink SG ball until 2019, when the final originally slated to be played with the pink ball, went ahead with the red ball.
Coincidentally, Bangladesh too have held that skepticism, turning down New Zealand's proposal last year due to lack of match preparation. Incidentally, both India and Bangladesh will have just two days of preparation between the Indore and the Kolkata Tests to acclimatise against the pink ball.
"I have spoken to the players. For sure there have been some concerns," Domingo said. "Some guys said it will be just a few days (of) preparations. There is only two days between first and second Test... In my time with South Africa, we played a pink-ball Test in Adelaide with Australia. We had a warm-up game before. We had few sessions. So it will be a less time to start. Hopefully it may work for advantage for us. I have worked with pink-ball and hope it will be an advantage for us.
"There is a travel day and two practice days. And that's all at the moment. During our preparation there will be some pink-ball preparation. But our focus will be first Test first. Once that is completed, we will prepare for the pink-balls. There are some challenges but it is same for India. They haven't played a day-night Test match. So it will be same for both the teams, not a lot preparation time but an exciting event. Because of the pink-ball, it may help both the teams little bit close together and we are excited about the opportunity," he added.
Bangladesh begin their India tour with the three T20s, starting on November 03, before heading to Indore to kick off their World Test Championship campaign from November 14. The timings of the second Test at Eden Gardens, to be played from November 22, will now be tweaked for a slightly late start in-order to play the final session under lights.
