Pink on the horizon
While both Bangladesh and India had insisted that the focus lay with the first Test in Indore starting from tomorrow, the pink ball which will be used in the second Test in Kolkata dominated all discussion yesterday during Ajinkya Rahane’s press conference.
Both teams are set to play their first ever pink-ball Tests under lights and there had been curiosity about how India were preparing for the Test after they had rejected the idea of day-night Tests in the past. There had been no time for preparation but Rahane informed that they were not sitting idle as a few from the Test side went and worked with Rahul Dravid at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore while the T20I series against Bangladesh was going on.
“It was the first time I played with a pink ball and definitely it’s a different ball game compared to red ball. Our focus during the practice session was to look into the swing and seam and also play close to our body. What we found from the practice session was that the pink ball does a lot more than the red ball. We have to play slightly late and close to the body,” he said.
Asked if the pink ball to be used was taking precedence over the first Test, Rahane said: “We decided to go and spend time at the NCA and if we got pink-ball sessions, it’d be great. For bowlers it’s a different thing. Shami was there, Jadeja was there. We decided that we’ll have at least two sessions with the pink ball. But as I said, it’s not difficult to stay in the present.
“The lateral movement is big, actually a lot more than the red ball. I’m sure we’ll get two good practice sessions in Kolkata,” he added.
India skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma practised against throwdowns with the pink ball before moving on to red-ball practice. Naturally, the Indian team were not against gaining knowledge of the novel prospect.
Most of the Bangladesh Test team members have not yet used the pink ball. Asked about the challenge Bangladesh will pose, Rahane replied: “Bangladesh are a good team. They play as a unit. I thought we played really well against South Africa and that’s in the past now. We always stay in the present. I am sure Bangladesh will come really hard at us, and they will give their best to win this Test match and the Test series.”
