The Test series between India and Bangladesh is set to begin on September 19, with the Indian team fully prepared for the two-match series. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has emphasized the importance of this series for the BCCI. However, he also mentioned that since the government in Bangladesh has changed, there has been no discussion with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
India’s new cricket season will start in September, with India playing its first series of the season at home against Bangladesh. The two Test matches will be played, with the first one starting on September 19 and the second on September 27.
There were talks about including a pink ball, or day-night, Test match during the India-Bangladesh series. However, Jay Shah has clearly refused this idea. He cited financial losses as the main reason for not holding a day-night Test.
Pink ball Test matches began in 2015, with the first match played between Australia and New Zealand. India played its first pink ball Test in 2019 against Bangladesh, which ended in just two days, with India defeating Bangladesh easily.
India has played only four day-night Test matches so far, losing one of them. All four matches were one-sided and ended within three days. Considering these factors, the BCCI has decided not to hold a pink ball Test match in India.
While speaking to the media in Mumbai, Jay Shah explained that fans buy tickets to watch a good match, but when the match ends in just 2-3 days, they feel disappointed. This also results in losses for the broadcasters.
After violent protests in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave the country, and many officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), who were her supporters, also had to flee. Since then, key positions, including that of the president, have remained vacant.
Jay Shah mentioned that the series against Bangladesh is very important for the BCCI, but there has been no discussion with the BCB on this matter yet. He also mentioned the possibility of a meeting in the coming days. Additionally, there was a request to shift the Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Bangladesh, to India, but Jay Shah has rejected this request.