In this article, we answer the question, ‘when was the first pink-ball Test match played?’ We look at the events leading up to the first pink ball Test match and discuss when and where it was played and what teams competed in it. We also dwell upon the first pink-ball Test match for India.
Contents
Concerns About the Future of Test Cricket
Towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century, Test match viewership began to dwindle. Given the increasing popularity of ODIs and T20 games under lights, the idea of holding day-night Test matches gained traction. One of the early proponents of Test cricket under lights, the then ECB chairman, Giles Clarke, in 2009 cited the example of T20 cricket to prove his point that people enjoyed watching cricket in the evening. He had enthusiastic support from James Sutherland, CEO of Cricket Australia in 2009, who believed that Australia was in a ‘bad time zone’, and that Cricket Australia’s ability to sell TV rights would improve if Australia began to host matches later than usual. The then ICC General Manager Dave Richardson warmed to the idea.
Need to Need to Change the Colour of the Ball Used
ch agreement to experiment with Test cricket under lights, the next step involved the mechanics. To begin with, the people concerned agreed that the colour of the ball would have to be changed, as the red ball would be less visible under the lights. They thought of various possibilities and conducted experiments with pink, orange, and yellow balls. They even considered a suggestion that players in coloured kits should use a white ball that would be engineered to last 80 overs.
ObjectioObjections by Traditionalists to Day-Night Test Matches
nalists sought to preserve test cricket from the non-traditional trappings of ODI and T20 cricket. With a plan to hold England’s Test match versus Bangladesh at Lord’s, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sought the help of counties — Durham and Worcester — to try out the pink bank in a four-day county game. But the counties did not comply, with Durham coach Geoff Cook expressing his disapproval to media.
Women’s Cricket Women’s Cricket Shows the Way
came to the rescue when the pink ball was used in a women’s one day game between England and Australia in 2009. Not much later, in January 2010, men’s cricket followed suit. The pink ball featured in a day-night first-class game in Antigua between Trinidad &Tobago and Guyana.
Several Boards Hold TriaSeveral Boards Hold Trial Pink Ball Matches
trial pink ball match came true when the MCC and Durham, the 2009 season champions, met in the 2010 Champion County match in a day-night match in Abu Dhabi. In 2011, Canterbury hosted a Division Two County Championship pink-ball game under lights. Pink-ball matches were subsequently held by the Pakistan Board in 2011-12 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, as well as by the South Africa and Bangladesh boards in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, the Australian board used pink balls in a whole round of Sheffield Shield games held under lights.
Australia Host First PinAustralia Host First Pink Ball Test Match
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Australia hosted the first day-night Test match at Adelaide in November 2015.
It was the final match of a three-Test series on New Zealand’s tour of Australia. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat. Adelaide was the venue of the first pink ball Test match — the third match of a series on the New Zealand tour of Australia in November 2015. New Zealand bated first and were all out for 202 with the pink ball swinging quite a bit. Tom Latham (50) was the standout batter for the Black Caps, while Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were Australia’s most successful bowlers with three wickets each.
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Game
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Gamets gained a slender lead of 22 runs, with Smith and Neville scoring fifties. Doug Bracewell who took 3/18 was the tourists’ most successful bowler. In their second knock, New Zealand did not do much better and were bored out for 208. While Mitchell Santner (45) was the only Kiwi batter with a substantial score, Hazlewood (6/70) was Australia’s best bowler on display. Australia made heavy weather of a modest target of 187 — they lost 7 wickets in the process of getting over the line. Shaun Marsh (49) top scored for the home side, while Trent Boult (5/60) emerged New Zealand’s best bowler.
The First Pink-Ball Test Match for IndThe First Pink-Ball Test Match for India
pink ball Test bandwagon. The BCCI had concerns about the lack of visibility and unpredictable behaviour of the pink ball, as well as the absence of reverse swing. Following a trial pink ball Duleep trophy game in 2016, players and selectors became more open to the idea of pink ball cricket. The ascent of Saurav Ganguly to the chair of the BCCI was the final boost India needed. India hosted their first ever pink ball Test match on 21 November 2019 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens during Bangladesh’s tour of India.
India Rout Bangladesh
Bangladesh b
India Rout Bangladesh
t for 106. Barring Shadman Islam (29), Liton Das (23) and Nayeem Hasan (19), no other batter could reach double figures. India’s pacemen Ishant Sharma (5/), Umesh Yadav (3/0 and M Shami (2/) had a field day as they ripped through the Bangladesh line up in swing friendly conditions. When India replied, Kohli (136) assisted by Rahane (51) and Pujara (55) enabled the home side to declare at 347/9. Bangladesh’s second knock was marginally better than their first. Aided by innings from Mushfiqur Rahim (74) and Mahmudullah (39) they managed only 195, rendering India the winners by an innings and 46 runs. Umesh Yadav (5/53) and Ishant Sharma shared nine wickets between the duo.
First Pink Ball Test Match Hosted by Each Country
No.
Host Country
Date
Venue
Teams
Result
1
Australia
27 Nov 2015
Adelaide
Australia vs New Zealand
Australia won by two wickets
2
Pakistan
13 October 2016
Dubai
Pakistan vs West Indies
Pakistan won by 56 runs
3
England
17 August 2017
Edgbaston
England vs West Indies
England won by an innings and 209 runs
4
South Africa
26 December 2017
Port Elizabeth
South Africa vs Zimbabwe
South Africa won by an innings and 120 runs
5
New Zealand
22 March 2016
Auckland
New Zealand vs England
New Zealand won by an innings and 49 runs
6
West Indies
23 June 2018
Bridgetown
West Indies vs Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets
7
India
22 November 2019
Kolkata
India vs Bangladesh
India won by an innings and 46 runs
Contents
Need to Change the Colour of the Ball Used
ch agreement to experiment with Test cricket under lights, the next step involved the mechanics. To begin with, the people concerned agreed that the colour of the ball would have to be changed, as the red ball would be less visible under the lights. They thought of various possibilities and conducted experiments with pink, orange, and yellow balls. They even considered a suggestion that players in coloured kits should use a white ball that would be engineered to last 80 overs.ObjectioObjections by Traditionalists to Day-Night Test Matches
nalists sought to preserve test cricket from the non-traditional trappings of ODI and T20 cricket. With a plan to hold England’s Test match versus Bangladesh at Lord’s, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sought the help of counties — Durham and Worcester — to try out the pink bank in a four-day county game. But the counties did not comply, with Durham coach Geoff Cook expressing his disapproval to media.
Women’s Cricket Women’s Cricket Shows the Way
came to the rescue when the pink ball was used in a women’s one day game between England and Australia in 2009. Not much later, in January 2010, men’s cricket followed suit. The pink ball featured in a day-night first-class game in Antigua between Trinidad &Tobago and Guyana.
Several Boards Hold TriaSeveral Boards Hold Trial Pink Ball Matches
trial pink ball match came true when the MCC and Durham, the 2009 season champions, met in the 2010 Champion County match in a day-night match in Abu Dhabi. In 2011, Canterbury hosted a Division Two County Championship pink-ball game under lights. Pink-ball matches were subsequently held by the Pakistan Board in 2011-12 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, as well as by the South Africa and Bangladesh boards in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, the Australian board used pink balls in a whole round of Sheffield Shield games held under lights.
Australia Host First PinAustralia Host First Pink Ball Test Match
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Australia hosted the first day-night Test match at Adelaide in November 2015.
It was the final match of a three-Test series on New Zealand’s tour of Australia. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat. Adelaide was the venue of the first pink ball Test match — the third match of a series on the New Zealand tour of Australia in November 2015. New Zealand bated first and were all out for 202 with the pink ball swinging quite a bit. Tom Latham (50) was the standout batter for the Black Caps, while Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were Australia’s most successful bowlers with three wickets each.
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Game
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Gamets gained a slender lead of 22 runs, with Smith and Neville scoring fifties. Doug Bracewell who took 3/18 was the tourists’ most successful bowler. In their second knock, New Zealand did not do much better and were bored out for 208. While Mitchell Santner (45) was the only Kiwi batter with a substantial score, Hazlewood (6/70) was Australia’s best bowler on display. Australia made heavy weather of a modest target of 187 — they lost 7 wickets in the process of getting over the line. Shaun Marsh (49) top scored for the home side, while Trent Boult (5/60) emerged New Zealand’s best bowler.
The First Pink-Ball Test Match for IndThe First Pink-Ball Test Match for India
pink ball Test bandwagon. The BCCI had concerns about the lack of visibility and unpredictable behaviour of the pink ball, as well as the absence of reverse swing. Following a trial pink ball Duleep trophy game in 2016, players and selectors became more open to the idea of pink ball cricket. The ascent of Saurav Ganguly to the chair of the BCCI was the final boost India needed. India hosted their first ever pink ball Test match on 21 November 2019 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens during Bangladesh’s tour of India.
India Rout Bangladesh
Bangladesh b
India Rout Bangladesh
t for 106. Barring Shadman Islam (29), Liton Das (23) and Nayeem Hasan (19), no other batter could reach double figures. India’s pacemen Ishant Sharma (5/), Umesh Yadav (3/0 and M Shami (2/) had a field day as they ripped through the Bangladesh line up in swing friendly conditions. When India replied, Kohli (136) assisted by Rahane (51) and Pujara (55) enabled the home side to declare at 347/9. Bangladesh’s second knock was marginally better than their first. Aided by innings from Mushfiqur Rahim (74) and Mahmudullah (39) they managed only 195, rendering India the winners by an innings and 46 runs. Umesh Yadav (5/53) and Ishant Sharma shared nine wickets between the duo.
First Pink Ball Test Match Hosted by Each Country
No.
Host Country
Date
Venue
Teams
Result
1
Australia
27 Nov 2015
Adelaide
Australia vs New Zealand
Australia won by two wickets
2
Pakistan
13 October 2016
Dubai
Pakistan vs West Indies
Pakistan won by 56 runs
3
England
17 August 2017
Edgbaston
England vs West Indies
England won by an innings and 209 runs
4
South Africa
26 December 2017
Port Elizabeth
South Africa vs Zimbabwe
South Africa won by an innings and 120 runs
5
New Zealand
22 March 2016
Auckland
New Zealand vs England
New Zealand won by an innings and 49 runs
6
West Indies
23 June 2018
Bridgetown
West Indies vs Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets
7
India
22 November 2019
Kolkata
India vs Bangladesh
India won by an innings and 46 runs
Women’s Cricket Shows the Way
came to the rescue when the pink ball was used in a women’s one day game between England and Australia in 2009. Not much later, in January 2010, men’s cricket followed suit. The pink ball featured in a day-night first-class game in Antigua between Trinidad &Tobago and Guyana.Several Boards Hold TriaSeveral Boards Hold Trial Pink Ball Matches
trial pink ball match came true when the MCC and Durham, the 2009 season champions, met in the 2010 Champion County match in a day-night match in Abu Dhabi. In 2011, Canterbury hosted a Division Two County Championship pink-ball game under lights. Pink-ball matches were subsequently held by the Pakistan Board in 2011-12 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, as well as by the South Africa and Bangladesh boards in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, the Australian board used pink balls in a whole round of Sheffield Shield games held under lights.
Australia Host First PinAustralia Host First Pink Ball Test Match
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Australia hosted the first day-night Test match at Adelaide in November 2015.
It was the final match of a three-Test series on New Zealand’s tour of Australia. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat. Adelaide was the venue of the first pink ball Test match — the third match of a series on the New Zealand tour of Australia in November 2015. New Zealand bated first and were all out for 202 with the pink ball swinging quite a bit. Tom Latham (50) was the standout batter for the Black Caps, while Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were Australia’s most successful bowlers with three wickets each.
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Game
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Gamets gained a slender lead of 22 runs, with Smith and Neville scoring fifties. Doug Bracewell who took 3/18 was the tourists’ most successful bowler. In their second knock, New Zealand did not do much better and were bored out for 208. While Mitchell Santner (45) was the only Kiwi batter with a substantial score, Hazlewood (6/70) was Australia’s best bowler on display. Australia made heavy weather of a modest target of 187 — they lost 7 wickets in the process of getting over the line. Shaun Marsh (49) top scored for the home side, while Trent Boult (5/60) emerged New Zealand’s best bowler.
The First Pink-Ball Test Match for IndThe First Pink-Ball Test Match for India
pink ball Test bandwagon. The BCCI had concerns about the lack of visibility and unpredictable behaviour of the pink ball, as well as the absence of reverse swing. Following a trial pink ball Duleep trophy game in 2016, players and selectors became more open to the idea of pink ball cricket. The ascent of Saurav Ganguly to the chair of the BCCI was the final boost India needed. India hosted their first ever pink ball Test match on 21 November 2019 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens during Bangladesh’s tour of India.
India Rout Bangladesh
Bangladesh b
India Rout Bangladesh
t for 106. Barring Shadman Islam (29), Liton Das (23) and Nayeem Hasan (19), no other batter could reach double figures. India’s pacemen Ishant Sharma (5/), Umesh Yadav (3/0 and M Shami (2/) had a field day as they ripped through the Bangladesh line up in swing friendly conditions. When India replied, Kohli (136) assisted by Rahane (51) and Pujara (55) enabled the home side to declare at 347/9. Bangladesh’s second knock was marginally better than their first. Aided by innings from Mushfiqur Rahim (74) and Mahmudullah (39) they managed only 195, rendering India the winners by an innings and 46 runs. Umesh Yadav (5/53) and Ishant Sharma shared nine wickets between the duo.
First Pink Ball Test Match Hosted by Each Country
No.
Host Country
Date
Venue
Teams
Result
1
Australia
27 Nov 2015
Adelaide
Australia vs New Zealand
Australia won by two wickets
2
Pakistan
13 October 2016
Dubai
Pakistan vs West Indies
Pakistan won by 56 runs
3
England
17 August 2017
Edgbaston
England vs West Indies
England won by an innings and 209 runs
4
South Africa
26 December 2017
Port Elizabeth
South Africa vs Zimbabwe
South Africa won by an innings and 120 runs
5
New Zealand
22 March 2016
Auckland
New Zealand vs England
New Zealand won by an innings and 49 runs
6
West Indies
23 June 2018
Bridgetown
West Indies vs Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets
7
India
22 November 2019
Kolkata
India vs Bangladesh
India won by an innings and 46 runs
Australia Host First Pink Ball Test Match
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The First Pink-Ball Test Match for Ind
It was the final match of a three-Test series on New Zealand’s tour of Australia. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat. Adelaide was the venue of the first pink ball Test match — the third match of a series on the New Zealand tour of Australia in November 2015. New Zealand bated first and were all out for 202 with the pink ball swinging quite a bit. Tom Latham (50) was the standout batter for the Black Caps, while Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were Australia’s most successful bowlers with three wickets each.
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Game
Hosts Win Low-Scoring Gamets gained a slender lead of 22 runs, with Smith and Neville scoring fifties. Doug Bracewell who took 3/18 was the tourists’ most successful bowler. In their second knock, New Zealand did not do much better and were bored out for 208. While Mitchell Santner (45) was the only Kiwi batter with a substantial score, Hazlewood (6/70) was Australia’s best bowler on display. Australia made heavy weather of a modest target of 187 — they lost 7 wickets in the process of getting over the line. Shaun Marsh (49) top scored for the home side, while Trent Boult (5/60) emerged New Zealand’s best bowler.The First Pink-Ball Test Match for IndThe First Pink-Ball Test Match for India
pink ball Test bandwagon. The BCCI had concerns about the lack of visibility and unpredictable behaviour of the pink ball, as well as the absence of reverse swing. Following a trial pink ball Duleep trophy game in 2016, players and selectors became more open to the idea of pink ball cricket. The ascent of Saurav Ganguly to the chair of the BCCI was the final boost India needed. India hosted their first ever pink ball Test match on 21 November 2019 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens during Bangladesh’s tour of India.
India Rout Bangladesh
Bangladesh b
India Rout Bangladesh
t for 106. Barring Shadman Islam (29), Liton Das (23) and Nayeem Hasan (19), no other batter could reach double figures. India’s pacemen Ishant Sharma (5/), Umesh Yadav (3/0 and M Shami (2/) had a field day as they ripped through the Bangladesh line up in swing friendly conditions. When India replied, Kohli (136) assisted by Rahane (51) and Pujara (55) enabled the home side to declare at 347/9. Bangladesh’s second knock was marginally better than their first. Aided by innings from Mushfiqur Rahim (74) and Mahmudullah (39) they managed only 195, rendering India the winners by an innings and 46 runs. Umesh Yadav (5/53) and Ishant Sharma shared nine wickets between the duo.First Pink Ball Test Match Hosted by Each Country
| No. | Host Country | Date | Venue | Teams | Result |
| 1 | Australia | 27 Nov 2015 | Adelaide | Australia vs New Zealand | Australia won by two wickets |
| 2 | Pakistan | 13 October 2016 | Dubai | Pakistan vs West Indies | Pakistan won by 56 runs |
| 3 | England | 17 August 2017 | Edgbaston | England vs West Indies | England won by an innings and 209 runs |
| 4 | South Africa | 26 December 2017 | Port Elizabeth | South Africa vs Zimbabwe | South Africa won by an innings and 120 runs |
| 5 | New Zealand | 22 March 2016 | Auckland | New Zealand vs England | New Zealand won by an innings and 49 runs |
| 6 | West Indies | 23 June 2018 | Bridgetown | West Indies vs Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets |
| 7 | India | 22 November 2019 | Kolkata | India vs Bangladesh | India won by an innings and 46 runs |