Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s Test specialist No. 3 batsman has said that if given choice he would prefer playing Test cricket with the red ball.
India’s batting mainstay has revealed his preferred choice of the ball while playing Test cricket. The 33-year-old who played a pivotal role in India’s historic 2-1 victory in Australia recently has said that if given a choice he would like facing the red ball more than the pink ball.
Cheteshwar Pujara Prefer To Play With Red Ball
In an exclusive interview, Cheteshwar Puajra reckoned that the format of the game remains the same but facing the pink ball is a different ball game altogether.
“I would prefer to play with the red ball if given the choice because it’s a different ball game all together as a batter you need to have a different strategy. Yes, pink-ball is a different ball game. Although it’s the same format, I feel it’s a different ball game. So given a choice, I will prefer to play with a red ball,” Cheteshwar Pujara said.
Notably, India have played only 2 pink-ball Test matches till date. They had won their first-ever pink-ball Test at Eden Gardens against Bangladesh, while in their first-ever overseas pink-ball Test, Virat Kohli’s men lost by 8 wickets to Australia. India were shockingly bundled out for 36 in the 2nd inning of Adelaide Test in December 2020.
However, India bounced back after losing Adelaide Test and outshined Australian in the next 3 Tests with the red ball winning at Melbourne and Brisbane.
India Played First Day Night Test Against Bangladesh
Day/night cricket is now commonplace in one-day cricket and Twenty20 cricket. For instance, all 27 matches in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 were day/night matches, as were most matches in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
In October 2012, the International Cricket Council recast the playing conditions for Test matches, permitting day/night Test matches. The first day/night Test Match took place between Australia and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on 27 November 2015.
The Test series between Bangladesh and India also featured the first day/night match to be played by either side at Kolkata. Ishant Sharma took his tenth five-wicket haul in Tests and was awarded Man of Match. Bangladesh scored 106 and 195 while India scored 347/99 declared with Virat Kohli scoring 136. Cheteshwar Pujara scored 55 while Ajinkya Rahane scored 51.