Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins might have been the highest wicket-taker for Australia in the pink-ball Tests, but he still prefers to play in the longest format of the game with the red-ball, saying the traditional ball creates the fairest contest between bat and ball.
His comments came after Australian spin great Shane Warne had called for using the pink ball for the entirety of Test cricket citing that the red ball “doesn't do anything” and goes soft after 25 overs.
However, Cummins wasn’t agreed with Warne’s idea of playing all Test matches with the pink ball, saying one or two games with the pink-ball in a year is good, not in all matches.
Cummins told ANI: “I still love Test cricket with the red ball as well. The games with the pink ball are great as in an event, like one or two Tests maybe in a year.”
The pacer added, “But red-ball Test, yeah! that's not going anywhere. I think it creates the fairest contest between bat and ball. We had some great pink-ball Test matches and I think the Adelaide Oval did a great job with the pitch they provided, but I still feel with the red ball you have the best contest.”
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has confirmed that the Sydney Cricket Ground will host the New Year’s Test against India starting January 7 and Cummins feels his fellow spinner Nathan Lyon will benefit from the slowness of the wicket at the SCG in the third Test.
He concluded, “Yeah, our record in Sydney is really good. In terms of pitch, it is closed to MCG and other wickets, like normally quite dry, a little bit on the slower side. So for Nathan, there will be some turn. Yeah really excited to get on a different wicket and playing in front of home fans is really special.”
(With ANI Inputs)
