Pink ball cricket is yet to find complete acceptance in India despite receiving praises from most of the parts of the world. However, in the current turn of events, the future for day-night Test in India isn’t looking pretty good and hence it seems the day-night Test has to wait for a while to be taking place in India.
Even, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not willing to play day-night cricket outside India as they recently rejected the offer of Cricket Australia (CA) of playing a day-night Test when India tours Australia later this year. The reason specified by the board for the same was the lack of preparation and also the fact that the Indian cricketers are yet to get an exposure to pink ball cricket. However, more than the familiarity factor, there is a lot that has been written between the lines.
Out-of-favour India opener Abhinav Mukund felt that before conducting a day-night match in India, BCCI has to do a lot of work on other factors as well. He explained that once the ball gets old, there is no assistance for the bowlers so the questions of pink-ball’s adaptability in Indian conditions is still on the table. He expects BCCI to find a way if they are looking to make day-night cricket a regular feature in India.
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Asserting similar thoughts, Divakar Vasu, coach of India Red, said BCCI official has submitted an internal report regarding the research on the pink-ball which has a lot of suggestions. He elaborated, “Kookaburra has to work on the ball. There is no natural shine on the ball as there is an artificial coating on the ball. The ball only helps the spinners in the first 30 overs or so and the old ball ceases to reverse too for the quicker bowlers. Once the ball becomes softer, the bounce is also lost. So, there is a lot to be worked on before pink ball can make its debut internationally or even in the Ranji Trophy in India.”
Vidarbha skipper Faiz Fazal also feels that after the initial overs, pink ball tilts in the favor of the batsmen more often than not. He explained, “In the later part of the game, the quicks find it hard and so do the spinners. Having said this, as a batsman, if you are able to see off the new ball and then don’t commit any mistake, you have the upper hand. The pink ball is also one of the reasons why spinners are used upfront. You have a fast bowler from one end and a spinner from another in the first hour of play. That’s when the bowlers can extract maximum help from the pink ball.”
In the ongoing season of the Duleep Trophy where the pink ball has been used, many players seem to be unhappy with the conditions of the ball especially after 50-60 overs have been bowled. There have been numerous instances when the ball had to be changed as it becomes extremely soft or goes out of shape. Unlike the SG ball where a spinner gets a grip on the ball to grip the surface and get some drift, bowling with a pink ball gives minimum or negligible drift putting the bowlers in a spot.
