When New Zealand played Australia in the first ever Test match with a pink ball, many theories around the ball and the conditions were doing rounds. Every person had a theory, and everyone was eager to see how the ball would actually behave under lights.
Many theories were mere random yelps, while few others were actually true when the match was played. Taking a cue from this development, Sourav Ganguly decided to introduce pink ball cricket in a league match in Kolkata. The BCCI then decided to hold Duleep Trophy, a premier domestic competition with pink ball under lights and give many International cricketers a firsthand taste of the new commodity in town.
While the matches have been an interesting affair, the bright pink object has been hogging all the limelight as far as debates and deliberations are concerned.
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Here in this list, we take a look at 5 talking points from pink ball cricket in India.
#1 Pitches have to be doctored
Adelaide Oval, Eden Gardens and then Noida ground, three different venues but one unifying factor- a green pitch. The reasons are pretty evident, the pink ball and the green seam need proper maintenance and thus a concerted effort is made to leave grass cover on the pitch so that the ball does not scruff up easily and can be used for a longer duration of time.
Thus, the question that is gaping at the administrators is that when Test matches are played in the sub-continent where the pitches are sluggish and dusty, how will the ball maintain its shape and shine. Now, it is a given that Asian countries will not prepare green surfaces, as spinners are their strength, and there is absolutely no harm in playing to your advantages and exploiting home conditions.
A very critical question needs to be looked into, and answers are needed.
#2 Longevity of the ball
After their match, Cheteshwar Pujara came out and questioned the durability of the pink ball. Also, Parthiv Patel has been very vocal about the use of this ball in the subcontinent, as he believes that the sluggish nature of the pitches will be a massive impediment.
Parthiv who is stalwart in Indian domestic cricket did not sound too confident about the conditions which have to be manufactured just to accommodate a game of cricket involving the pink ball.
“I am not saying it will be difficult to host a Test with the pink ball but we have to see how it behaves on a drier wicket. We have played the Duleep Trophy match on a grassy wicket but let’s see how it does on a drier wicket and outfield,” he said.
#3 Visibility issues
This is an extrapolation from the previous point, and once again we will have to quote Pujara, who was a centurion in the Duleep Trophy match. Pujara who scored a gritty 166 was not very amused with the seam colour and also the colour of the ball, especially under lights.
"When I was facing spinners, it was very difficult to pick the googly, under lights. A little difficult to pick the seam on the pink ball," Pujara observed.
Visibility issues with the pink ball have always been a pressing concern. Australian batsman, David Warner also expressed his reservations about the visibility of the ball.
“The guys on the side boundaries have trouble picking it up. With the ball they used last year, there was no chance of seeing the seam. If you are a batsman, it is critical to be able to see the seam as it gets closer to you, so you can work out which way it is going to swing — if it does", Warner said.
The administrators will have to be very observant of this particular point if they are planning to go ahead with Tests under lights.
#4 Excessive swing
Green pitch, lights beating down and a shiny ball, all are ingredients which aid swing, and in the case of the pink ball, rather exaggerated movement.
"This was my first game with the pink ball, enjoyed batting on this wicket, not much help for the fast bowlers. The most difficult session was the third one, under lights, when they took the second new ball, it moved about, it came on faster. So I think the third session is the most difficult one", Cheteshwar Pujara claimed after his innings.
Also, the fact that picking up the ball becomes rather difficult under lights, more so in and around the twilight period, gauging swing becomes an almost impossible prospect for the batsmen.
Are we then tilting the balance too much in favour of the bowlers?
#5 Change in colour and dew factor
Cricket will always have to dodge weather conditions, but then when we are going into a match knowing that the weather will play tricks, nothing much can be done.
If matches are being played under lights, especially in regions which experience dew, the balance between bat and ball is thrown out of the window.
Also, players have claimed that the ball changes colour much too quickly and the change is rather drastic.
"There is conventional swing but the shine is maintained so well that there is no chance of reverse swing. I also found the colour varying at different times of the day. At one point, it looked light pink, followed by orange at one point of time, before appearing bright pink under lights", Robin Uthappa said after his match for India Green in the ongoing Duleep Trophy.
The ball, as they say, is firmly in the court of the administrators, almost literally!
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