Can’t force them to play DayNight Test if they aren’t prepared: Rai

MUMBAI: The general impression is that the India team coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli are playing safe by asking the BCCI to not agree to a Day-Night Test on their tour of Australia.

Cricket Australia had scheduled a Day-Night Test on India’s forthcoming tour. The Indians, however, have refused to play. The Indian team is harbouring hopes of scoring its first-ever series win on Australian soil against a depleted home side that will miss the banned duo of David Warner and Steve Smith.

Vinod Rai, the chief of Committee of Administrators (CoA), the main decision-making body of BCCI, rebuffed the criticism aimed at the team management.

“Any team, in any sport, when they enter the ground, don’t they enter to win the game? What is wrong with that?,” said Rai.

Rai feels since there is no ICC law forcing teams to play DayNight Tests, any country not wanting to play due to unpreparedness shouldn’t be criticised.

“It has been decided that a DayNight Test match will only be played when the two Boards agree, there is no ICC clause that one has to play,” stated Rai.

“When my captain and coach come and say, ‘I want to be prepared better before I play’, why should I not support them? It’s a decision (Day/Night cricket) which has not been considered properly. I will go entirely with the preparation of my team and not listen to anybody. I am proud of my team, they play aggressive and entertaining cricket. Of course, we want to win.”