Published 22:28 IST, November 13th 2019
Pink ball Test: Team India excited about playing D/N Test at Eden
Indian players including the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and others came forward to share the excitement of playing the D/N Test at Eden Gardens.
- SportFit
- 4 min read
Team India will once again begin their race to the ICC World Test Championship when they host Bangladesh in a two-match Test series that gets underway from Thursday. However, it seems that the players are enthusiastic about the second Test match will be played at the iconic Eden Gardens. The match at the Edens will be a Day-Night affair that will be played with the pink ball. Meanwhile, the Indian players have come forward to express their excitement as India gets ready to host its first-ever D/N Test match at the international level.
Indian players on the pink ball Test match
Indian skipper Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and others including the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. came forward and gave their thoughts on the pink ball Test match.
''You need to be a bit more compact I think early on. You can't afford to play that many shots as you can with the red ball maybe because it does quite a bit, it seems a lot as well so I think its more or less playing in seaming or swinging conditions with the pink ball especially if the pitch had grass on it. So yeah it's quite a test I think early on you need to have a solid compact game play against the pink ball", said Virat Kohli.
''Today was my first official net session that I did with the pink ball and yes it's obviously it's something unusual. It's not something that we have been playing with all these years. It's a new concept. But yeah I am very excited and I am looking forward towards it. Its gonna be a very exciting Test match'', said Rohit Sharma.
Opening batsman Mayank Agarwal said that it will be challenging but he is looking forward to it. Cheteshwar Pujara has said that the experience of having played a pink-ball Duleep Trophy match will be helpful when he comes out to bat at Eden Gardens. Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said that people who cannot come to watch the Test match during day time due to office can come in the evening and enjoy the match so that it benefits the Test cricket. He also added that the way the team is playing at the moment even the fans have a chance to come in large numbers and support the Indian team. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said that he is looking forward to the pink ball Test with great excitement. Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, said that he is excited to play the pink ball Test match at the historic Eden Gardens. The video was posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on their official Twitter handle.
Kohli sweats it out in the nets
Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit the nets at the team's practice session on Nov 12. The captain was seen practicing some challenging shots as he slammed the pink ball with his iconic drives and blocks. This comes ahead of the first day/night test (second test in series) which India is scheduled to play on November 22 against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens which will feature the pink ball. With a lot of speculation surrounding the pink ball's behavior, the Indian team has ensured to prepare well in advance. Earlier in the day, Indian batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane who have played with the pink ball in domestic cricket said the team is confident of adapting to the new feature.
Updated 23:19 IST, November 13th 2019
