KOLKATA, Nov 20, 2019 (BSS) – To deal with the pink ball, the batsmen’s most challenging job would be adapt with the condition at night while the day part of the game would be relatively normal regardless of the colour of the ball, said Daniel Vettori.
The Bangladesh’s spin bowling consultant believes the batsmen need to be proactive to spend that time with utmost careful approach.
“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,” he said in Bangladesh’s first practice session in Kolkata on Wednesday.
“The sun sets quite early here. That will be the time we will see the pink ball come into play. My experiences are only from watching on TV. So the twilight hours, dusk seems to do a little bit more. So I think that’s going to be the exciting period of the Test match.”
According to Vettori, at the night part of the game, team’s tactical nous would be crucial.
“That will be the period where tactically teams might try out a few different things.”
Bangladesh played just one game in pink ball at domestic level, which was way back in 2013 and most players even couldn’t remember that match.
Ahead of the pink ball Test, which is maiden for both of them and India, Bangladesh so far have three sessions but practice under light just one day at Indore. They will have a practice session under light in Kolkata tomorrow, just ahead of the match.
After these three sessions in pink ball, the pacers are really excited and believe this would help them.
“The four fast bowlers are excited. That’s a nice thing. Bangladesh fast bowlers don’t get to be excited too often,” he said.
“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. But I think there is excitement around in front of full housed and lot of interest. So for us as a team, the real joy to be here.”
“The seamers did a great a job in the last Test so they will come to the fore. The re-laid wicket here has more bounce. It was watered today and is now covered. The seamers, because of the pink ball and under lights, will play a big part in this Test match.”
“We have had only one session when it’s dark so they haven’t really experienced night time. Tomorrow we will get to have some experience that. So far so good as the pink ball behaves normally at this time of the day.”