Adelaide.
After starting their Australia tour with a 295-run win in the Perth Test, India will soon head to the city where they were last bowled out for 36 in December 2020. India will once again play a day-night Test here in Adelaide and Cheteshwar Pujara believes that the pink ball will have to be adjusted quickly as it is a bit skidier.
“If you look at the red ball, it doesn’t shine much,” Pujara told ESPNcricinfo. You can see that the pink ball shines a little more than the red ball. The reason for this is that there are more coats of color on it, it has more layers of paint, which does not go away quickly. When you are facing a red ball it is a normal leather ball which gets old quickly. Whereas the pink ball retains its shine for a longer period of time.”
He added, “And because the pink ball has more layers of paint, when it hits the pitch, hits the seam or even hits the bright spots, it skids a little more. So as a batsman you have less time. You don’t have as much time as playing red ball and that’s the big difference you have to adapt to.”
Five years ago in Adelaide, when India were all out in 21.2 overs, their lowest score in Tests, the Indian batsmen were not falling like a house of cards in the evening, when the pink ball is more difficult to play, especially Against fast bowlers. Following the previous day’s score of nine runs for one wicket, the Indian team came into bat in the afternoon and lost nine wickets within the next hour.
But in the evening, when the sun sets and there is neither complete light nor complete darkness in the sky, it is most difficult to bat in a day-night test at that time. Pujara admitted, “Anyone who has played a Test with the pink ball will tell you that batting in the evening is the most difficult. At that time there is neither complete light nor complete darkness so that the stadium lights can be lit and then you can see a little less. So at that time it is more challenging for the batsmen to play the pink ball.”
