India players finding pink ball tricky to see

Cricket365
September 10, 2016

India’s Duleep Trophy has been using the pink ball under lights in recent matches, and players like Yuvraj Singh and Chetweshwar Pujara say getting used to the ball is proving tougher than expected.

Yuvraj feels batting against spinners under lights is tougher than usual, and that the ball does not swing nearly as much as the red ball when it’s new. Pujara, meanwhile, says visibility under lights is not ideal.

These sentiments echo those from Australia’s Sheffield Shield players, who have been playing with a pink ball for a few seasons now, as well as New Zealand’s players after the first Day-Night Test last year.

Pujara told local media that players would get used to it eventually: “It’s challenging to pick the ball under lights but its not that you can’t.

“Ultimately you have to watch the ball and play. At times, you have to accept the fact that some things might be challenging because when you are batting at 2pm, you are able to sight the ball really well.

“So even in Test cricket if you are batting in the first session and if the wicket is green you have to see through the new ball and if its turning track the ball will spin so you have to adjust to whatever is in front of you.”

Yuvraj added: “I felt that picking a wrist spinner is a bit difficult. I realised when I was standing in the slips that batsmen were actually struggling to pick the wrist spinner.

“I felt that pink ball didn’t swing as much as the red ball does when it has shine. I honestly felt that the pink ball didn’t swing much and didn’t get old.

“It was coming on to the bat very nicely. I don’t know how it is going to play on a turning track.”