BLACKCAPS To Play India In Pink Ball Test

The BLACKCAPS look set to play their second day-night test when they tour India later this year.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur confirmed to Cricinfo that India would host their first day-night test when New Zealand visit in October. A venue or date has not been revealed.

"We have decided that we will play one day-night Test match with pink ball against New Zealand later this year," Thakur said. "Before that, Duleep Trophy will act as a dress rehearsal for the day-night Test match."

"While we have not zeroed in on the venue, there are lots of factors that need to be taken into account," Thakur said. "Things like dew factor, how the spinners bowl with the pink Kookaburra on Indian pitches. These things we will get an idea [of] during the Duleep Trophy."

The BLACKCAPS are set to play three tests and five ODIs in India but the schedule has yet to be announced.

New Zealand played in the first ever pink day test against Australia in Adelaide last year, losing the test by three wickets.

BLACKCAPS all-rounder Jimmy Neesham missed the Adelaide test after suffering a back injury earlier in the tour and said on Radio Sport's The Crowd Goes Wild Breakfast today that he'd love to play in an India day-night test.

Neesham, stand-in Crowd Goes Wild Breakfast host, said whether the ball could hold up in Indian conditions and dew later at night in India were two possible factors for a day-night test during the tour.

"They're developing the pink ball. It's a process isn't it? They've tried another iteration since the Adelaide test. It's six months away so there's plenty of time to go through a few more prototypes. "

"The other thing is the dew factor. But I'm sure who are much higher up the tree than I am, have plans for those two eventuations."

"I'm looking forward to playing in a test match for a start," said Neesham who missed the New Zealand home series last summer due to injury.

"I'd love to [play day-night test]. I was gutted to be missing out on that test match when I came home injured from the Aussie tour. It was something mooted as a one-off at the time and it looks like it's going to become a more regular occurrence."

This week Australia announced they will host a pink ball test against Pakistan in Brisbane next summer and hope to also play South Africa in Adelaide with the pink ball - however the Proteas have aren't keen on the idea due to the fact their players wouldn't have played at night in the lead up to the series.

New Zealand Cricket's general manager of cricket Lindsay Crocker rates the prospects of a day-night test in New Zealand early next year as possible rather than probable.

"We've only had early discussions with them and haven't greatly advanced on the pink ball," Crocker said. "Our greater concentration has been around commitments to dates and we're nearly there."

England are the main feature of the 2017-18 New Zealand season. The chances of a day-night test against them are better than they are against the South Africans next summer.

Radio Sport