In November 2015, Adelaide hosted the first-ever day-night cricket Test played with a pink ball. It was an exciting match where Australia edged out New Zealand by three wickets on the third day. At that time, many people were unsure if the pink ball would hold up well during the game. There were even talks about players wearing colored uniforms because it was an experiment to attract more fans back to Test cricket.
Fast forward nearly ten years, and pink-ball Tests have become quite normal. The pink ball now comes with an extra layer of shine, and pitchers prepare the field like they would for a regular red-ball game, leaving less grass on the pitch. Players are ready for the challenges that come with the new ball and the tricky twilight hours. Fans expect that these matches won’t last the full five days, especially in Adelaide.
Adjusting to a different color ball can be tricky for teams, as Rohit Sharma mentioned while preparing for a match at the Oval, “We know that when we arrive in Adelaide, we’ll play a day-night Test. But we aren’t going to complain; we’ll just focus on the game.”
India doesn’t play day-night Tests often, but they face the same challenges that Australia does. As assistant coach Abhishek Nayar noted, “Our team always thinks about strategies, whether it’s with a pink ball or red ball. The biggest change comes from our mindset.”
KL Rahul pointed out that batters sometimes struggle to see the ball clearly, saying it feels harder than the red ball. He shared, “It seems to come at you quicker, and it also seams around more. But I’m excited because it’s my first pink-ball game.”
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey from Australia added that the changing light can affect how he sees the ball, making it look a bit blurry. “I must focus on watching the ball closely. The pink ball adds a great challenge to the game,” he explained.
So far, every pink-ball Test has produced results, mostly because the pink ball behaves very differently. Data shows that when Australia plays during the day in Adelaide, they score an average of 41.14 runs while the opposing team averages only 29.95. In contrast, in day-night Tests, Australia’s average drops to 38.81, but the opposition’s average falls all the way down to 20.29.
Interestingly, when looking at bowling, Australia’s bowlers don’t usually shine in day games but do exceptionally well in day-night matches, averaging just 21.11 runs compared to their opponents’ 43.09.
This year, the game may take a different turn because India’s bowling attack is just as strong as Australia’s, and their batting seems to be in better shape than the host team. While things may change quickly, India remains confident based on their recent performances in Perth.
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