December 17, 2020 will be remembered as an important date in the history between India and Australia, as it will mark the beginning of the first day and night test match between the two sides. The first of four Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches in Adelaide is set to be a pink ball affair, India’s first away from home.
Before the historic Test Match, there is a great deal of anticipation and curiosity about the Adelaide course. Generally, the field is always in focus a day or two before a test match, but being a pink ball game, the attention is even greater.
Cricket.com.au took to Twitter on the eve of the test match to share the first look at the Adelaide course that Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will continue on.
The shade has a greenish tint which is common for keeping the glow of a pink ball intact, but not so much that it sends shivers down the batter’s spine.
A Josh Hazlewood versus Mohammed Shami will be as tantalizing a subplot as Jasprit Bumrah pitching to the Yorkers in response to Pat Cummins’ barrage of gorillas.
With a workhorse like Ishant Sharma absent from the Indian ranks and enforcer David Warner absent from the Australian lineup, the teams are evenly placed in terms of strength.
However, there will certainly be a clear home advantage for Australia along with the experience of playing more events day and night.
A day / night test match has its own grammar in which the batsmen are expected to attack in the first session while the bowlers are at their peak once the sun sets, allowing the pink kookaburra speed up your pace.
Speaking of his experience playing under the lights, Australian closer Pat Cummins said the pink ball moves more under the lights.
“… We are a bit, I will not say nervous, but excited, knowing that the game moves at a slightly different pace than a normal test. You can have some sessions under the lights where the balls just move, ”Cummins told kkr.in.
“After dinner, when the light takes effect, for whatever reason, the ball seems to spin a little more. “You can have some periods in a test match a bit like a day, where the ball doesn’t swing, it doesn’t come together, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it starts moving under the lights.
“It’s just another dynamic of the game. It’s a tactic that captains have to handle: when to hit and when to pitch, ”Cummins said.
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