Published: Nov 22, 2015, 03:53 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 22, 2015, 03:53 PM (IST)
The historic day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand will be played on November 27 and all the eyes will be on the pink ball. Many have criticised the ball, saying that it has to be changed on numerous occasions with many players like Mitchell Starc, Chris Rogers complaining that they cannot see the ball when they field in the deep. The ball was put to test in a few Sheffield Shield matches, but the biggest test for the pink ball so far came when it was used in the warm-up match between Western Australia XI and New Zealanders. Scorecard: Australia vs New Zealand, day-night Test at Adelaide
Neil Wagner took Trent Boult’s place in the side and impressed with a five-wicket haul. The pink ball was however further criticised. Sam Whiteman, who’s 117 took Western Australia XI to 345, said that he found it hard to see the ball, especially when it was full. But he also acknowledged that once you get your eye in, it becomes easier.
“I think my previous best score against the pink ball was about 10, so it was actually good to get a few on the board,” he said. “I think it’s a little bit tougher under lights, but definitely bearable. When it’s a little bit fuller it’s tougher to see, but once you get set it is like batting with a red ball,” said Whiteman according to espncricinfo.com. READ: Australia vs New Zealand 2015-16, 3rd Test at Adelaide: What to expect from 1st ever Day-Night Test
He added, “The boys were saying it was quite tough out there to start under lights, but when you’re set it’s pretty good to bat. The ball deteriorates pretty quickly. Towards the end it was almost not really pink – and the square is in pretty good nick. Towards the end it got quite dark and hard to pick up.”
New Zealand bowling coach Dimitri Mascarenhas saw a couple of problems too. His main concern was that the pink ball does not swing as much as the red ball. “The boys think at moment the way it is reacted is pretty similar to the red ball,” he said. “The only difference is it doesn’t buff up as much as the red ball. The difference is in the middle session it won’t swing as much as the red ball usually can. But in all other respects it’s very similar. The newer the ball is, the more it is going to do and the lights help it look good with the pink ball.”
With so much being said about the pink ball, Managing Director of Kookaburra Brett Elliot has hit back at such criticisms. He said the WACA at Perth, where the warm-up match is being played was a dead rubber and did not have any assistance for the bowlers. The attention therefore shifted to the pink balls. READ: New Zealand looked primed to do a UAE encore in Australia
“The pitch in Perth seemed to offer very little movement for the bowlers and thus it seemed to focus attention on the ball,’’ Elliot said, from an overseas trip. “Conditions have a big impact on the ability of balls to swing or move and in the first few days there was little movement for bowlers. As cracks opened and humidity rose, the conditions became a little more bowler friendly in later stages and we saw New Zealand opt not to take the [second] new ball,” Elliott said according to couriermail.com.au.
With so much being said, will the pink balls survive the test of time? Can it withstand Test cricket? Will the ball have to be changed more regularly than the red ball? With the decider between Australia and New Zealand being played at Adelaide, under lights, one will get a few answers. The International Cricket Council (ICC) would not have given the pink ball clearance unless they believed that it would have assessed it to be a success.
Players, staff around the world will obviously be a bit sceptical about it, like they are to anything new introduced in cricket. It is bound to have a few advantages and disadvantages. There were many critiques of the white ball too when it was introduced in limited-overs fixtures, but it has managed to survive over time and so will the pink ball. All the nations must back ICC’s initiatives to have day-night Tests all around the world and the Adelaide Test is a step in the right direction. READ: Australia vs New Zealand 2015-16: Kookaburra Managing Director Brett Elliot hits back at pink ball criticism
One must not judge the pink ball just by what happens in the first ever day-night Test. Everybody will have to be patient and adapt. Once day-night Tests become a regular fixture, it will be a major boost for Test cricket and cricket as a whole.
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
