BLACKCAPS To Play Day-Night Test During Indian Tour

New Zealand will inaugurate a new test venue and play their second day-night test on this year's tour of India.

India's first pink ball test will be played at the spectacular Eden Gardens in Kolkata, set down as the last of New Zealand's three tests on their tour.

''This is fantastic news," a Cricket Association of Bengal spokesman said of the day-night decision by the Indian board.

New Zealand will play tests at Indore - the first to be played at that venue - and Kanpur, before ending at Eden Gardens, with five ODIs to round out the tour in Dharamsala, Delhi, Mohali, Ranchi and Visakhapatnam, the tour to run from September 23-October 30.

India had surprised New Zealand Cricket officials recently by suddenly announcing one of the matches would be a pink ball test. However that idea seemed to have gone quiet, until today.

It will be New Zealand's second day-night test experience, having inaugurated the idea of pink ball tests against Australia at Adelaide late last year. Two more pink ball tests are expected to be played in Australia next summer.

The Indian board has released a list of a whopping 13 home tests to be played in the coming season. It equals the most played by India at home in a season, matching 1979-80.

After New Zealand kick off the season, England play five tests, Bangladesh one and Australia four.

New Zealand have played two previous tests at Kanpur, a draw in 1976, notable for 113 by New Zealand skipper Glenn Turner, and an eight-wicket loss in 1999; and two tests at the spectacular Eden Gardens in Kolkata, but none in 50 years.

The two tests there were in 1955 on New Zealand's ground-breaking maiden tour of the sub-continent and 10 years later.

Both matches were drawn. Captain John Reid struck 120 on the first visit, while Bert Sutcliffe hit the last of his five test tons, 151 in 1965, a match also notable for debutant allrounder Bruce Taylor making 105 and taking five for 86.

NZ Herald