Team India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha reckons the pink ball in the upcoming second Test against Bangladesh might be difficult to sight under lights, according to a report by The Indian Express.
After defeating Bangladesh by an innings and 130 runs in the opening Test in Indore, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team will face the Tigers in the second and final Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, starting on November 22.
The match will be the first day-night Test to be played in India and it will also be the first time Kohli and Co will be playing an international game with a pink ball.
Saha reckons the players will need to be alert and get used to conditions quickly in order to perform. “Under lights the ball will move and all our fast bowlers clock 140kph or more. When I played the CAB Super League final, picking the pink ball under lights was a tad difficult after it got old,” he said.
With the first Test in Indore getting over in just three days, the Indian team conducted practice sessions under lights at the Holkar Stadium to get a feel of the pink ball. Saha, though, believes the players will need to adapt during the game itself. “You can’t eliminate the problem in two days’ practice. You have to adapt during the game,” he said.
The pink ball has an extra coat of lacquer on it and it remains to be seen how it will behave through the course of an innings. What also makes a day-night Test different is the fact that the pitch will have an extra coating of grass, in order to preserve the ball.
“So far, the majority of the day-night Tests have been played with the Kookaburra ball. SG pink will be used for this game. So we will have an idea during our first training session; how are the bowlers feeling. The pitch, too, will play a part,” said Saha.
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