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All You Need to Know About Pink-Ball Test Between India and Bangladesh
- Updated: November 20, 2019
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After Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, New Zealand and even Zimbabwe has played Pink-Ball Test, India is all set to make their Pink-Ball Test debut against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 22. The BCCI has ordered as many as 72 pink balls from SG for the Test match.
Pink balls were introduced in Test cricket to help batsmen see the ball properly under lights. Batsmen have previously complained of being unable to sight the red-ball under lights which is when the idea of playing with the pink-ball first came into the picture. The ICC then gave a green signal after which every Pink-Ball Test whenever played is no less than an event.
The manufacturing of the ball is also kept in mind to aid the bowlers. Speaking to IANS a BCCI official said that the seam of the ball is hand-stiched, keeping in mind that it helps the bowlers to get reverse swing.
“The pinks balls prepared have all been hand stitched as that increases the chances of the ball aiding reverse swing. Shouldn’t be a problem to get the pink cherry to reverse,” the official said.
CAB President and now the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said that organizing India’s maiden Pink-Ball Test match in Kolkata was one of his targets since being the BCCI boss and now that it is being finally staged in Kolkata gives him immense satisfaction and pride. “It’s sold out and I’m extremely happy (about it),” said Ganguly here after visiting the BCCI headquarters. Work is on in full swing to get the stadium ready on time for this historic occasion.
Before the Test match starts from November 22, here is all you need to know about.
1) The first session of the Pink-Ball Test will be played from 1 pm to 3 pm. Then players will then start the post-lunch session from 3.40 till 5.40. Players will then again break for tea and the final session will be played from 6 to 8 pm. The floodlights will be switched on from the second session.
2) The tickets for the first four days of the match are sold out. This was confirmed by BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly himself. He also unveiled the official mascot for the Test match ‘Pinku-Tinku’.
3) In what will be a historic setting before the Test match, the Army paratroopers will be flying inside the stadium and hand over one pink ball each to the two captains at the toss.
4) Then the bell at Eden Gardens will be rung together by the West Bengal CM Mamata Bannerjee and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
5) The Pink-Ball Test match will be attended by premier Indian athletes across all formats. During the tea-break, they will be given a ride alongside the boundary line.
6) During the lunch-break, the Fab 5 of the Indian Cricket team Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman will look back on the historic 2001 Test match against Australia.
7) The CAB will felicitate the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, tennis star Sania Mirza, world badminton champion PV Sindhu and six-time boxing world champion MC Mary Kom among others on the first day of the Test match.
8) The CAB will also felicitate the team members of the first-ever Test match between India and Bangladesh in 2000. Interestingly, this was Ganguly’s first Test match as Indian captain.
The occasion for India’s first Pink-Ball Test match cannot be greater and the venue cannot be better. Already leading the series 1-0, Virat Kohli would like to win the Test match as soon as possible leaving an impact of his own in the Test match.
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