India played its first-ever D/N Test in Kolkata last week against Bangladesh with resounding success. However, if reports are to be believed, the team management and players would think twice before further embracing the new version in future because of issues regarding the visibility and hardness of the pink ball.
And the new BCCI president Sourav Ganguly will be duly intimated about it as he indulges in negotiations with other boards over scheduling.
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"We felt sighting the ball was an issue. Apart from visibility, the ball was also too hard," The Indian Express quoted a member of the Indian team management as saying. "Look at how Bangladesh batsman got hit; it was a challenge to sight the ball even during fielding."
"Any bowler who can bowl 140 kph plus will be tough to handle. Look at what Indian pacers did. The ball travelled faster than the regular red ball and under lights, the sighting was an issue to be honest."
One playing member also stressed upon the hardness of the ball. "Yes, it’s too hard. Like a hockey ball, if you know what I mean. Something is not right with the way it feels in your hand. It would be silly if we go ahead with pink ball Tests in future," the player said.
These views are also shared by the team's Bangladeshi counterparts.
New Zealand and Australia are both hoping to host India for a D/N Test each next year.
Australia's skipper Tim Pane, in fact, went public saying his team would like to have Virat Kohli & company start off next winter's Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane and with a D/N Test.
"We’ll certainly try and we’ll have to run that by Virat (Kohli). We’ll get an answer from him at some stage I’m sure," Paine had said.
"That’s where we like to start our summer and it has been for a long long time except for last summer."
"We’ll ask Virat and see if we can get his permission to play here and maybe even get a Pink-ball Test if he’s in a good mood."
(Inputs from Indian Express)
