Favoured to maintain their day-night Test dominance this week, Australia’s run of only playing the format on their own terms could soon come to an end.

A battered West Indies outfit head into the second NRMA Insurance Test in Adelaide facing an imposing streak with the Aussie men having never lost a pink-ball game since its inception seven years ago.

Since that first Test under lights against New Zealand in 2015, Australia have gone on to play 10 pink-ball games, all at home and all of which they have won.

But that record, which could stretch to 11 matches unbeaten unless the Windies can muster a substantially better performance than their 164-run loss in Perth, could face its sternest test early next year.

India, the destination for Australia’s next trip abroad where they are slated to play four Tests in February-March, have been strongly tipped to schedule a pink-ball game.

Virat Kohli’s side got rolled for just 36 in Adelaide in the 2020-21 day-night Test, but a rematch under lights in India would mark a considerably different proposition.

Outside Australia, India have been the warmest adopters of the format despite an initial hesitance that saw them not play one during their 2018-19 tour of Australia.

The BCCI scheduled day-night Tests for three of their past four home series, with Bangladesh (in 2019), England (last year) and Sri Lanka (earlier this year) all losing under lights in India.

Australia’s hopes of maintaining their perfect day-night record will face an immense challenge if the pink ball is used in Ahmedabad, where one of next year’s tour’s Tests will be played according to a report from the Press Trust of India last month.

The world’s largest cricket stadium, named after current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and where former US President Donald Trump famously mispronounced the names of Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, hosted a remarkable Test against England that was over in two days.

“The game they played at Ahmedabad, you saw the spinners taking a lot of wickets which is a bit different to here. Axar Patel was getting a lot of skid and getting a lot of lbws,” said Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith.

“It’s different compared to here where you see the seamers taking the bulk of the wickets.

“It’s interesting the different ways the game has been played for the time that the pink ball has been around.

“… But they’re good fun to play in for sure.

“It is a bit different as a player, you can do some different things strategically or tactically at times.

“I’m sure other teams are looking at ways to implement it into their calendars as well.”

Australia have become attuned to, and worked out how to exploit, the different rhythms of the pink-ball format at home.

But a massive-turning pitch would mark a major departure from the style of cricket Australia have played in at home where their fast bowlers have proven a handful when dusk descends in Adelaide.

It would also require them to adjust to a ball they have never used before.

India initially trialled the pink Kookaburra (used in Australian Tests) in domestic cricket but ditched it following negative feedback from Duleep Trophy players who said it offered little to bowlers on Indian surfaces.

By 2019, SG (Sanspareils Greenlands, the manufacturer of balls used in India) had developed its own pink ball which has since been used in each of the three day-night Tests played in India.

No other international team has hosted more than two day-night Tests. The last nine such matches have been played in either Australia or India, with England, South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand all having seemingly shelved the format.

West Indies were the last non-Australia or India team to host one and, while that was back in 2018, Test vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood suggested the use of the pink ball in the Caribbean first-class competition highlighted their enthusiasm for the format.

“For sure, I think we can get a few more day-night games in the few years coming up,” said Blackwood. “We play a bit as well – so we’re no stranger to the pink ball, we play it in our first-class (competition) back home.

“It’s a new thing to the game. a lot of fans come out and watch on.

“It’s like a T20 game where you can come at night with your family and enjoy a beautiful game of cricket. Going forward I would like to see some more games.”

Men’s NRMA Insurance Test Series v West Indies

First Test: Australia won by 164 runs

Dec 8-12: Second Test, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas

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