We're open to play if get enough time to prepare: Kohli on Paine's Pink-Ball Test dig
Team Indian skipper Virat Kohli is ready to play Day-Night Test against Australia after Tim Paine took a dig at him. After thrashing Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in their first-ever pink-ball Test, the Indian team is riding high on confidence. Kohli has expressed his desire to play overseas Day-Night Test if given practise game for preparation.
The Indian cricket team captain said that proper planning is needed for a pink-ball game and if his team get enough time for preparation then he will play anywhere.
"There has to be planning for a pink-ball game. We're playing in home conditions, but if you ask the Bangladesh team, they'd have also liked a practice game. Because we know our conditions and the bowlers are really bowling well, so we don't really feel the challenge or the things that are different about pink-ball cricket," said Kohli.
"Maybe when we play away from home we will figure out what could be even more difficult while playing with the pink ball. I think with a good practice game before that and enough time to prepare, we're open to doing anything. You can't just play it on short notice, like I mentioned last time."
Kohli emphasized that the time gap between practice game and Pink Test should be minimal and in continuation.
"I think it depends when the Test happens. If it's the first Test, then obviously before the first game you play [a practice match]. One of them can be a normal red-ball practice game, and one before the Test could be a pink-ball practice game. But if it's the second or third Test, I would ideally like more break between the two Tests. And have a practice game before the pink-ball Test, obviously under lights. So it can't be that before the tour you play a pink-ball practice game and then the [pink-ball] Test is actually the third."
Earlier, Australia captain Tim Paine took a sly dig at Kohli on playing pink-ball Test in Brisbane.
“Yeah, well, we’ll be certainly trying. We’ll have to run that by Virat,” Paine said. “We’ll get an answer from him at some stage I’m sure.”
This “is where we like to start our summer, and it has been for a long, long time except for last summer,” Paine said. “So as I said, we’ll ask Virat. See if we can get his permission to play here.
“And maybe even get a pink-ball test if he’s in a good mood.”
