Unlike the red ball, the rhythm of the pink ball increases when the lights are turned on, says the vice captain of India.
India’s captain Virat Kohli has often talked about staying focused and having that horrible session that makes you miss an event. He wasn’t referring to sessions where the opposition had kept you under pressure for long periods and then reaped the rewards. He was referring to when India had largely been in control of the game and then abandoned it all in a quick blast.
The two clearest examples were Durban 2013-14 and Brisbane 2014-15. Both times, India had won the draw and appeared to be in control in the early innings. At Durban, they went from 198 for 1 to 199 for 4, then finished for 334 to lose the Test, against the reverse swing. In Brisbane, they scored over 400 in the first inning, got off to a good start in the second, looked ready to save the Test, and then a net injury caused a collapse on the fourth morning to lose them in the Test.
Since then, India hasn’t had such prominent poor sessions out of nowhere, but the many variables in a day and night test make one possible. The vice captain, and captain-elect in the last three tests, Ajinkya Rahane has called for more focus all the time during the day-night test because it can be like playing two completely different innings. If set hitters lose their bearings in the twilight period, it can be extremely difficult for new hitters to start an inning, which is a recipe for crash.
India has played only one day-night event so far, in India with the SG ball. However, Rahane spoke of the experience of the only first-class game in which he participated in preparation for the Adelaide Test. He made an interesting observation that the pace of the ball increases once the lights are turned on.
“The rhythm of the red ball stays the same throughout the day,” Rahane said. “With the pink ball, the rhythm completely changes in those 40-50 minutes. Of course, the new ball moves a bit for a while, but it becomes easy to hit after that. So the twilight period can be challenging because The rhythm of the ball increases. Both outside the gate and in the air. If we concentrate a lot during this period, it can become a little easier again.
“He behaves differently during the day and behaves differently once the lights are on. So that’s a challenge. So, as a hitter, focus will be the key. As long as you can focus and focus, communication It will be the key between the two hitters. Hitting in the twilight, those 40-50 minutes is the key. If he hits well in that period, he gets really good. “
As David Warner has shown in day-night events in Australia, there are payout periods but they have to be earned. Rahane, who likes to start fast before settling into a doorway, knows this and knows she will have to be more flexible given the time of day she enters.
“I feel like when he’s hitting No. 5-6, he has to read the situation and play the situation,” he said. “For me it’s about playing with intention, playing in the situation and what the team demands of me. I visualize that and play accordingly. It’s about having that intention. Intention means not going there and taking all the shots. Intention it comes with your defense, when you put the ball down. That positive mentality that I feel is really important. It’s not that I decide every time I go out and play my shots, but I think having that intention helps me a lot. “
Sidharth Monga is assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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