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Pink ball experiment set to kick start in India this June

India's attempts to host a day-night Test has gained further ground with Eden Gardens set to host the country's first pink-ball multi-day cricket match.

The final of the Super League, a local tournament in Bengal to help identify players for the state's Ranji Trophy team, is expected to be played under lights from June 17 to 20. 

Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, hopes the "experiment" would help India host a day-night Test "in the near future".

He said - 

 

 

Test cricket's popularity has been steadily declining and we must do something to arrest the slide. The pink-ball Test in Australia last year received an overwhelmingly positive response and we must embrace the change. The Super League final under lights is an experiment with an eye to hosting day-night Tests in the near future. I think it would be a very good experience.

 

 

Ganguly is also the head of the BCCI technical committee that recommended the Duleep Trophy, an inter-zonal first-class tournament, be played with pink balls soon after the BCCI president Anurag Thakur had announced plans to play a floodlit Test against New Zealand later this year.

NZC, however, said a number of factors needed to be finalised before going through with the match.

Though cricket in India is usually played with the SG ball, the Super League final will be played with a pink Kookaburra, which requires a specific set of conditions to last and the CAB is already in talks with Kookaburra officials and will take the necessary steps on their advice to take this forward.

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