"Virat Kohli Is Not The One To Back Out", Says Gautam Gambhir After Tim Paine's Pink Ball Challenge

Gautam Gambhir, former India opening batsman, has urged Virat Kohli to not back down from Tim Paine's challenge of playing a day-night Test when India tour Australia next year. India recently hosted Bangladesh in their first-ever Test under lights in which the hosts thrashed Bangladesh inside three days. Australia captain, after handing Pakistan an innings defeat, had issued a challenge for the India skipper to play a pink-ball Test. While Virat Kohli has not responded to Paine's challenge, his state-mate, Gambhir has said that Virat is not someone who backs down from any challenge and it will be a spectacle for the viewers.

"I like the way Australia skipper Tim Paine has 'flighted' one for India captain Virat Kohli, challenging him to play a day-night fixture on the next tour Down Under," Gambhir wrote in his column in the Times of India.

"Knowing Virat he is not the one to back out. And why should he? A day-night Test match between India and Australia at Brisbane or the MCG will be quite a spectacle. And you can trust Aussies to make it a truly memorable game by some smart marketing," Gambhir added.

The former India opener also took a dig at Tim Paine and said that if he was in Kohli's place, he would have told the Australian captain to make some "babysitting arrangements".

"I haven't seen Virat's response for Paine, but if I was him I would have straight away told him to make some late night babysitting arrangements as we were ready!!!" he added.

On Sunday, Paine took a cheeky dig at Kohli while expressing his desire, saying he would take the latter's 'permission' before planning a Test under lights.

 (With IANS inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Tim Paine Virat Kohli Gautam Gambhir Cricket