The new Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regime under Anurag Thakur has made a bold move to embrace pink ball Test cricket but it must take into account
the apparent dangers the new concept brings. In a day-night Test, it’s not just the colour of the ball that will change but it requires other essential changes to be made which directly impact the playing conditions in a match. Firstly, the broadcasters demand greener pitches and outfields to increase the visibility of the glossy ball. This could be a major bone of contention which could make or break day-night cricket’s future. Because this is not just about changing the colour of the pitch. Having green pitches means India could lose the home advantage it enjoys when it hosts Test giants like Australia, South
Africa and England, who will relish the prospect of playing in the home-like conditions presented to them. The pink ball’s debut in a club final at the Eden Gardens has put forth more questions than answers for the Indian administrators. In the CAB Super League final, played in the backyard of the BCCI’s technical committee head Sourav Ganguly, Mohun Bagan were skittled out for 286 by Bhowanipore at the stroke of stumps on the first day of pink-ball cricket in India. As with day-night Test cricket’s debut, the match was played on an excessively green pitch and the square around it was also lush. With the
conditions heavily in favour of the bowlers, the batsmen were
made to fight for every run. The ball swung and seamed appreciably
throughout the day.
For the batsmen it was not the prodigious swing that made
their life difficult but the persistence of it till late in the day.
One could dig deep and score the runs but one false shot was
enough to dislodge a batsman after a hard-fought innings. The
seam bowlers made merry with the ball staying hard and the
seam still upright even after 60 overs. However, in this equation,
the unhappy minority would be the spinners as the dew
factor would virtually rule out any impact from the tweakers in
a day-night match. That’s bad news for India; another major
disadvantage BCCI will have to deal with. Meanwhile, the pacers
have also noted that the pink ball can’t be used for reverse
swing as it’s difficult to maintain one side of the ball shinier.
Another sticking point is the ball itself. For the pink ball trials
which will be held in the Duleep Trophy ahead of India’s home
season, the BCCI will most likely use the pink Kookaburra -- a
ball Indians have always been uncomfortable with. The Indian
board has also contacted the Dukes to see if the English manufacturer
can produce the pink ball. With an unfamiliar ball
and new conditions to adapt to, no advantage of spin or reverse
swing, India will start on an even keel against the opposition.
And if it’s an opposition bread on pace and swing, the hosts
could even start as the underdogs in the pink ball Tests. However,
this concept is just in a trial phase. When the Indian Test
stars face the pink balls in the Duleep Trophy, the BCCI will get
the vital feedback from the players so it can firm up its pink ball
policy. The ball is still in BCCI’s court.
