India preparing for day/night Test debut

India hope to host their first-ever day/night Test at Eden Gardens during the upcoming two-match home series against Bangladesh. The match will be staged in Kolkata if the Bangladesh Cricket Board approves the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s request. The BCCI is understood to have requested for the second Test to be contested under lights. “We are having this discussion but we haven’t decided yet,” BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters. “We will only decide after speaking to the players and team management.” Eden Gardens are already putting plans in place for the eventuality, but Sujan Mukherjee, the ground’s chief curator, has admitted there remain concerns about the weather. Kolkata has experienced on-and-off rainfall over the last few days and dew could be another factor once the floodlights take effect. Mukherjee said: “It has been raining intermittently for the past many days, and non-stop for the last three days. I am sure we will have time to do a good job, but we haven’t been able to do much. Only the dew could be a concern, in the evening, in November. It will mean more work for us, drying the ground during the game.” Both India and Bangladesh are yet to play in a day-night Test, but The Duleep Trophy – a domestic first-class competition in India – has been played with the pink ball.