Virat Kohli roared back to form in the Perth Test with an unbeaten hundred to play a crucial role in India’s massive 295-run victory in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) opener, and the visitors’ next challenge will be the pink-ball Test beginning in Adelaide on December 6.
India don’t have any fond memories of day-night Tests in Australia, with their lowest Test innings of 36 unfolding against the pink ball at the very same venue, the Adelaide Oval, four summers ago.
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Overall, the Indian team has a good record in Tests played under the lights, with a winning percentage of 75 percent.
As Rohit Sharma & Co head into the second match of the BGT, here’s a look at some of the interesting facts about pink-ball Tests:
1. India have won three and lost one out of the four day-night Tests they have played till date.
2. Virat Kohli’ 136 off 194 balls in India’s first pink-ball Test, which was against Bangladesh at Kolkata in November 2019, is the only hundred by an Indian batter in day-night Tests.
3. Kohli and Joe Root jointly hold the record for most runs (136) by a captain in an innings in a pink-ball Test.
4. Australia won eleven successive day-night Tests before losing by 8 runs to the West Indies at Brisbane in January 2024, enjoying 91.67 success rate.
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5. Adelaide Oval has witnessed seven day-night Tests between 2015 and 2022. Australia have emerged victorious in all of those.
6. Day-night Tests have seen two triple hundreds being scored — by David Warner (335) against Pakistan at Adelaide in 2019-20 and by Pakistan’s Azhar Ali (302) against the West Indies at Dubai in October 2016.
7. India’s lowest Test total of 36, which came at Adelaide in December 2020, is also the lowest by any team in day-night Tests.
8. England (58 and 81) and West Indies (93 and 77) are the only two teams to be dismissed under 100 twice in day-night Tests.
9. Australia’s 589 for 3 declared against Pakistan at Adelaide in November 2019 remains the highest innings total against the pink ball.
10. India’s left-arm spinner Axar Patel (6/38 and 5/32) produced a match-haul of 11 for 70, which is the best in a pink-ball Test. Two other bowlers have achieved the feat of 10 wickets – Australia’s Pat Cummins (10 for 62) and West Indian Devendra Bishoo (10 for 174).
(Stats Courtesy: Rajesh Kumar)
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