IND vs SL: Decoding India's numbers in Day/Night Tests
India and Sri Lanka will lock horns in the second Test, which would be a Day/Night affair, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, starting March 12. India are set to host their third pink-ball Test. It will be their fourth overall Test under lights. Rohit Sharma eyes his first Test series sweep as India's full-time captain. Here are India's numbers in Day/Night Tests.
Why does this story matter?
India have featured in three Day/Night Tests so far. They defeated Bangladesh in their maiden pink-ball Test at the Eden Gardens (2019), winning the match by an innings and 46 runs in less than three days. India were handed a crushing defeat in their second Day/Night encounter in Australia (Adelaide, 2020). In 2021, India defeated England in the pink-ball encounter (Ahmedabad) in two days.
India's lowest score in Test cricket
In December 2020, India recorded their lowest-ever score in Test cricket (D/N Test against Australia, Adelaide). India had the edge after claiming a lead in the first innings. However, in their second innings, none of the Indian batters scored in double digits. As a result, the visitors were bundled out for 36. In reply, Australia chased the 90-run target with ease.
India's only centurion in Day/Night Tests
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer for India in Day/Night Tests. He has tallied 241 runs from four innings at 60.25. In the game against Bangladesh, Kohli became the first-ever Indian to hit a hundred in a Day/Night Test. His 136-run innings laid the foundation of India's innings-victory. Kohli also scored 74 against Australia at the Adelaide Oval (2020).
Shortest Test in post-war era
In 2021, India claimed a historic win over England in the Day/Night Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel scalped 11 wickets in the match (6/38 and 5/32). The Indian spinners claimed a total of 19 wickets in this Test. Interestingly, the match ended on Day 2 itself, the shortest Test in the post-war era ending in a result (balls).
Incredible records of Axar in D/N Tests
In Ahmedabad (D/N Test), Axar became the fourth spinner to take a wicket off the first ball of an innings. Axar became the first Indian spinner to take a five-wicket haul in D/N Tests. As per Opta, he is the sixth spinner to record a five-for in such fixtures. He became the first spinner with two five-wicket hauls in a single D/N Test.
First Indian to take a five-for in D/N Tests
In 2019 (vs Bangladesh), Ishant Sharma became the first Indian to take a five-for in Day/Night Tests (5/22, 1st innings). In the second innings, Umesh Yadav took a five-for (5/53). Off-spinner R Ashwin is India's leading wicket-taker in pink-ball Tests (12 scalps at 13.66).
