India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha on Wednesday brushed aside concerns about the pink ball being a challenge for bowlers like Mohammed Shami who, he said can be trusted to come good irrespective of the ball’s colour or the nature of the surface.
India will take on Bangladesh in their first day-night Test starting from Friday in Kolkata. Shami took seven of the Indian pace attack’s collective haul of 14 wickets in India’s innings and 130-run victory over Bangladesh in the first Test in Indore.
“With the form they [Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav] are in, the pink ball is not a factor. Especially Shami, he can be deadly on any wicket. He has pace and is able to extract reverse swing,” Saha said.
Also read: The key differences between pink and red ball, explained by SG
Saha said that they haven’t yet checked how much movement is on offer as far as pink ball is concerned.
“We are yet to see the movement of the pink ball. But the colour of the ball won’t matter with the current form of our pacers,” Saha added.
A handful of Indian players, including Bengal’s Shami and Saha, have pink ball experience in domestic cricket, but the wicketkeeper pointed out that it was a Kookaburra.
“The only change is the colour of the ball. It’s made differently. There’s also a change in the timing and picking the ball a bit difficult in twilight. It may help the pacers but will be challenging for the batsmen,” Saha said.
The Indian wicketkeeper also seemed concerned about the colour of the sightscreen which would be white.
“In white ball cricket, we have black background and the feel remains the same even after it gets old. But here we have to see the backdrop. If it’s not clear, it will be challenging for the wicketkeeper as well,” he said.
Photos: A massive pink balloon, mascots and murals – Eden Gardens gets ready for day-night Test
“I stand near the slip fielders only. Our pacers at times deliver with a wobbly seam position. I will face the same challenge as them [slip fielders.] But we have to accept the conditions offered to us. It’s the way forward,” he added.
Virat Kohli’s India appear in little danger of losing the ground-breaking fixture, as they already lead the two-match series 1-0 after a crushing win in Indore.
The match will be played from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm IST, in a bid to avoid the worst of the dew that hits the region in winter months. According to reports, the first three days have already been sold out at the famous Eden Gardens.
With PTI Inputs
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