The same venue had hosted the only away pink-ball Test India have played so far, and they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy clash to Australia by eight wickets in 2020
India's landslide 295-run win over Australia in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test would have given the visitors immense confidence, but they would be equally aware of the considerably different challenges that the second Test in Adelaide, a day-night pink-ball affair, will present starting Friday (December 6, 2024). (Streaming | Key Battles | Preview)
The same venue had hosted the only away day-night Test India have played so far, and it was a forgettable outing for the team. Virat Kohli's men got dismissed for a sum total of 36 runs in the third innings and lost to the Tim Paine-led Australia by eight wickets under lights. It is a different matter that the match was followed by one of the greatest Test success stories of Team India, in the form of a 2-1 series triumph for the ages.
But pink-ball Tests have historically favoured home sides, with the hosts winning 18 of the 22 day-night five-day games played internationally thus far. Australia, in particular, have a sparkling record there, winning 11 of the 12 games they have played and losing just one to West Indies most recently.
Further, none of the pink-ball Tests played so far has ended in a draw, highlighting the result-oriented nature of the format with the altered match conditions.
India have been training in Adelaide for three days with the pink ball, and captain Rohit Sharma acknowledges the challenges associated with it. "I think it's just about getting used to the pace of the ball more than anything else. You are so used to playing with red ball, and pink ball certainly does a little bit more than the red ball.
"Pink ball will have its own challenges under lights and during the day as well. You just have to find your own way of dealing with it. I think that is something that we as a team have spoken in the group, you know, and try and respond to that current situation," Sharma told reporters ahead of the second Test.
Before the much-awaited Adelaide Test begins, let us take a look at India's pink-ball Test record so far:
Matches Played: 4
Matches Won: 3
Matches Lost: 1
2019: India beat Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in Kolkata
2020: India lost to Australia by eight wickets in Adelaide
2021: India beat England by 10 wickets in Ahmedabad
2022: India beat Sri Lanka by 238 runs in Bengaluru
Virat Kohli: 277 runs in four Tests at an average of 46.16
Rohit Sharma: 173 runs in three Tests at an average of 43.25
Shreyas Iyer: 159 runs in one Test at an average of 79.50
Ravichandran Ashwin: 18 wickets in four Tests at an average of 13.83
Axar Patel: 14 wickets in two Tests at an average of 9.14
Umesh Yadav: 11 wickets in two Tests at an average of 15.54