England’s cricketers are reportedly preparing to vote down plans for day-night Tests in this winter’s Ashes series. They’re especially against switching to the pink balls for such day-night matches in Australia. The reason for this decision can be found in their past record during these games. Even team leadership, including Australia captain Pat Cummins, has hinted at the pointlessness of scheduling pink-ball tests in cricket’s most famous and storied Ashes series.
Ever since the ICC allowed day-night Tests in 2015, Australia has been the clear powerhouse in the new format. In fact, they’ve had an amazing record of 14 wins in the 15 matches played internationally. Mitchell Starc proves the depth of the team and their quality in this format. He’s the leading wicket-taker among all bowlers in day-night Tests.
Additionally, of the 25 day-night Tests that have been played, 14 have been in Australia. Yet when it comes to their experience with the format in England, things haven’t gone as well. That team has famously only won two of their seven day-night Tests. In 2015, they endured heartbreak after four heavy defeats on their tours down under. Notably, England lost a one-sided day-night Test at the Gabba in Brisbane by eight wickets, raising questions about their adaptability to this format.
“A series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be here either,” – Joe Root
These comments from Joe Root serve to illustrate the uncertainty regarding whether or not pink-ball Tests will be part of the Ashes moving forward. Finally, Root understands just how enticing these match-ups are. He asks, are they really needed for a show with such depth of historic merit?
According to Cricket Australia’s future fixture schedule, they will host Bangladesh and New Zealand in the 2026-27 season. Unlike the pink-ball Tests, these won’t be day-night matches. A special one-off day-night Test has been scheduled for March 2027 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This fixture will mark the 150th anniversary of the very first Test match ever played at the venue. Predictably, the MCG event will likely attract a lot of attention, in part because of its history.
As part of building towards the next Ashes series, England are going to get better warm-up matches when they’re down in Australia. They will get to play one first-class fixture at a venue of their choosing. This latter opportunity will largely be dictated by where the first Test is played. Building on the success of playing this innovative sport, this initiative seeks to improve England’s preparedness for the harsh realities they will encounter in Australia.
The pink and red balls currently being used in Australian conditions have been under the microscope in terms of their performance. The tests, conducted on both types of balls, have shown that both deliver the same levels of swing and seam movement for pace bowlers. Given this context, is using a pink ball in a premier high-stakes series such as the Ashes effective or strategically worth it?
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