Waugh urges modern-day greats to embrace day-night Tests, lauds India for accepting Oz challenge

Australian legend Steve Waugh has exhorted the modern-day greats to embrace day-night Tests and lauded India for accepting the "challenge" of playing with the pink-ball during their tour Down Under later this year.

India played their maiden day-night Test against Bangladesh last November at the Eden Gardens, winning the match quite comfortably with plenty of time to spare.

And BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on Sunday confirmed that India will play a day-night Test during their much-anticipated tour of Australia.

Waugh said the experience of playing a day-night Test in Australia is unforgettable.

"It is great. It is a great opportunity, a great spectacle. One will never forget playing a day-night Test in Australia. It's got a fantastic atmosphere. It is a new challenge and a chance for the greats of this generation to tick that box for them," Waugh said while speaking on the sidelines of the Laureus Awards ceremony.

Waugh, who is a member of the Laureus Academy, said day-night Test contests are good for the game.

"If you score a hundred or pick five wickets in a day-night Test, it goes down in the annals of history. It's how you look at it either it is a challenge or too hard. I'm sure India will see it as a challenge. It's good for world cricket and I am glad that India have agreed to play," he said.

The limited number of day-Night Tests have shown that pacers have an advantage of playing with pink ball and Waugh welcomed it.

"It's a good thing (that fast bowlers have an advantage). People in Australia love watching a day-night Test because you can't take your eyes off the action. Every ball something might happen," he said.

"It gives the opportunity to the bowlers and good batsmen score runs. I think it is a great thing that the bowlers are more in the game -- particularly in the night time when the conditions change a lot and you really got to preserve your wickets. If you're bowling, then you have to attack the wickets."
"He is an incredible asset for India, great stamina, accuracy, pace -- he has got everything. He also seems to have pretty good temperament. He loves challenges and loves leading the attack. Virat Kohli is very lucky to have him in the attack."
"I am sure Virat Kohli is telling his team 'just because it is Australia, it is harder to win'."