Cricket Australia (CA) is leaving no stone unturned as it prepares for the highly anticipated day-night Test match between India and Australia. To ensure domestic players get sufficient exposure to pink-ball conditions, CA has announced three Sheffield Shield matches to be played under lights this season. This move comes in light of CA’s commitment to having at least one home pink-ball Test match each summer.
Sheffield Shield Matches Under Lights
The Sheffield Shield matches have been strategically scheduled to take place at key venues like the Adelaide Oval, the Gabba, and Bellerive Oval. These venues have played host to day-night Tests in the past, with Adelaide and the Gabba being popular choices for pink-ball cricket. The matches will offer Australian domestic players the chance to adapt to playing with the pink ball, an important element as it has become a recurring feature of Australia’s Test summer.
Ben Oliver, CA’s head of national teams, commented on the decision, stating, “Playing first-class matches at Test venues is important, and so too is exposure to day-night conditions which have become a feature of the Australian Test summer over the past decade.”
Day-Night Sheffield Shield Schedule
One of the key fixtures announced is the day-night match between South Australia and Western Australia at Adelaide Oval on November 23, just two weeks before the day-night Test between India and Australia at the same venue. However, the timing clashes with Australia’s first Test in Perth, meaning none of the current Australian Test players will feature in these pink-ball Shield matches.
Another day-night Shield match will see Queensland take on Victoria at the Gabba on November 24. Players like Michael Neser and Scott Boland, who have experience in pink-ball Test cricket, might participate and prepare for potential Test selection this summer, depending on the fitness of Australia’s front-line pacers.
Tasmania and New South Wales will also face off under lights at Bellerive Oval in Hobart starting March 15. While the timing means most of Australia’s ODI players will be returning from the Champions Trophy, Nathan Lyon could be available, depending on his recovery after a gruelling Test season.
Step Towards Better Preparation by Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia’s decision to reintroduce day-night Sheffield Shield matches is not new. These fixtures were consistently scheduled between 2013 and 2018, with CA having first experimented with day-night first-class cricket in the 1990s. The pink-ball format has been limited to special fixtures like Australia A or Prime Minister’s XI games in recent years.
Oliver emphasised that these matches aim to prepare Australia’s next generation of Test cricketers for the unique challenges of international cricket. “We are always exploring opportunities to further enhance the experience for domestic players and best prepare them for the challenges of international cricket,” he added.
Road to India vs Australia Day-Night Test
Although the current Australian Test team won’t have a chance to play in these pink-ball Shield matches, the preparation for the marquee India vs Australia day-night Test at Adelaide Oval is already in motion. With the growing significance of pink-ball cricket in Australia’s Test summers, the domestic players will be better equipped for the challenges, and the fans can expect an exciting contest under the lights when the two cricketing giants meet.
As the cricketing world looks ahead to the India-Australia clash, Cricket Australia’s focus on preparing players with the day-night format shows its commitment to maintaining the high standards of international cricket.
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