Mumbai: India are “absolutely open” to playing a day-night Test in Australia this year and the world’s top-ranked team have the confidence to take on any side in the world in any condition, captain Virat Kohli said on Monday.
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India declined Australia’s offer to play a day-night Test in Adelaide in 2018-19, citing lack of experience.
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Kohli’s men, however, took a little over two days to clinch their first pink-ball Test, thrashing Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in Kolkata in November.
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“We played the day-night Test here (in India), we are pretty happy with how it went,” Kohli told reporters on the eve of the opening One-day International against Australia.
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“It’s become a very exciting feature of any Test series. We are absolutely open to playing a day-night Test.
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“We are ready enough for the challenge. Whether it’s Gabba, it’s Perth, doesn’t matter to us. We do have the skillsets as a team now to compete against anyone in the world, anywhere, in any format of the game.” With day-night Tests seen as a possible solution to Test cricket’s dwindling attendances, Australia are hopeful that India will agree to play one at the Gabba this year.
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India earned their first series triumph on Australian soil on their last visit although the hosts were without Steve Smith and David Warner, who were suspended after the ball-tampering scandal.
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Kohli challenged his bowlers to be ready for a full-strength batting line-up of Australia, who made it five comprehensive wins out of five matches for the home summer against Pakistan and New Zealand.
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Australia beat India 3-2 in ODIs on their last visit.
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