India and Bangladesh will play their first day-night Test at Eden Gardens (Kolkata), starting from 22nd November. The two teams are spending a long time in the net session to practice with the Pink ball. Bangladesh spin bowling consultant Daniel Vettori talked about the pink ball during the practice session at Eden Gardens.
According to Vettori, Pink ball behaves normally during the day time but its behaviour will be different under the light. The game will more depend on timings, he detects.
“The pink ball plays relatively normal at this time of the day. The challenge will be how much of the Test match is under lights. The sunsets quite early here. That will be the time we will see the pink ball come into play,” Vettori said.
In Indore Test match, Bangladesh players were weak in all the departments. The visitors were ineffective in the first Test match which cost them defeat. India won that match by an innings and 130 runs.
The handcrafted Pink ball will be used in the upcoming Test match and it is manufactured by SG, made in India. The ball is different from the Kookaburra and the Dukes. Fast bowlers are excited to play the game with the pink ball at Eden Gardens, opines the former New Zealand captain.
“The four fast bowlers are excited. That’s a nice thing. Bangladesh fast bowlers don’t get to be excited too often. I think there is coming to grips with the ball. The SG pink ball is slightly different. Most guys’ limited experience has been around the Kookaburra one,” he further added.
Spinners will also play a crucial part – Daniel Vettori
Pink ball is expected to help more the fast bowlers than the spinners. Vettori figured that the spinners would also be a crucial part of the team. In the first two sessions, spinners will be a good support to the team, he detects.
“The spinners haven’t come into play that much if I recall correctly (from seeing previous pink ball Tests). It has been the seamers. But I still think the spin bowlers play a big part in the nature of the game. So the first two sessions, spinners could really be important. In the majority of Test matches, spinners are required at some time of the game. They all enjoy the SG ball for a start. So it has been enjoyable to bowl with for spinners so far,” Vettori said.
The motive to start the day-night Test match to bring more crowd in the stadiums. In Eden Gardens, 65,000 people will come to watch the match on each of the first three days. Vettori opined that the new tradition will surely encourage people to come and watch the match.
“I think the way people manage their time is trickier, so if you can extend the test match until night time, you can bring more and more people into it.