Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has said that changing the length of deliveries to keep the batsmen guessing would hold the key to put pressure on Bangladesh batsmen in their maiden day-night Test with the pink ball starting in Kolkata from Friday. Shami, who has been in terrific form, rocked Bangladesh batting taking 3/27 and 4/31 in the first Test at Indore to achieve his career-best ICC ranking, said he intends on keeping things simple for the historic Test at the Eden Gardens.
“The one thing bowlers should do is keep an eye on the wicket and how is it behaving. So, what I do is as the pitch gets slower is I keep pushing myself and when I notice that the batsman is uncomfortable I go over the top... so the length has to keep changing,” Shami said a TV channel.
Meanwhile, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar cautioned Indian opener Mayank Agarwal, who scored a double century in the Indore Test, saying opposition would be better-prepared to counter him in future matches. “He is enjoying Test cricket, this is his first year and hopefully he keeps scoring on the second year also because in the second season there is a lot more data available of you to the opposition.
After the Indore test, Indian and Bangladesh players trained with the pink ball. Ahead of that test, Indian captain Virat Kohli had said “I played against the pink ball for the first time yesterday and it swings a lot more compared to the red ball as there is extra lacquer on the ball which does not go away too soon and also the seam holds upright for a longer period of time. If the pitch has enough assistance, the fast bowlers will be in the game for a longer period of time.”
The pitch at the Eden Gardens will have a lot of grass on the surface so that the ball is able to retain its shape and features, if initial reports are anything to go by. But whom will day-night and pink ball favour more—fast bowlers or spinners? What does the statistics from the eleven day-night Tests in the last four years tell us?
Spinners have taken only 96 off the 366 wickets to have fallen since the first day-night test with pink ball in Australia in Novemberm 2015. Clearly, it is the pacers who have ruled the roost. What about the day-night Tests in Asian conditions? It tells a different story in terms of figures.
Just two of the 11 Tests have been played in Asia and they were held in Dubai. The spinners have taken 46 off the 73 wickets to have fallen. It is interesting to note that in Dubai, Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah has two five-wicket hauls while West Indies’ leg spinner Devendra Bishoo has taken eight wickets., indicating wrist-spinners have had a more profound influence as compared to finger spinners. So, will India and Bangladesh will include leg spinners in the playing eleven for the Kolkata test?
According to out-of-favour Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, “wrist spinners will have one advantage because it’s going to be very difficult to pick the seam (with black stitches) of pink ball.” Seldom has a second match of a Test series hogged more limelight than the forthcoming Kolkata the first Test? Even before the recent Indore test, the talk of the town has been the day-night and pink ball in Kolkata.
Players from both the teams had spent their time practicing with the pink ball both in daylight and under the lights in Indore where the hosts won by an innings and 130 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
Kohli has said that “the focus is to take the Indian cricket higher and higher. The motivation has been right, the intent has been right and we are going to keep pushing in that direction. The pink-ball Test is going to be exciting. It's going be a landmark event for Indian cricket and Indian Test cricket."
Ajinkya Rahane, India vice-captain, said "we had two good practice sessions, actually four but two with pink ball - one during the day and one under lights. It was exciting. For me, it was the first time I played with the pink ball and definitely it's a different ball game as compared to red ball.”
Indian top order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara said “soometimes it is challenging in twilight playing with the pink ball. You need little more practice and once you keep playing with the pink ball at that time (twilight), you start getting used to it. It’s just about doing a few more practice sessions before we play the match.” Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan is on record as saying that his side did not have enough practice with the pink ball but he is not sure that the pink ball would help only fast bowlers in Kolkata.