Ex-India captain Gundappa Viswanath urges cricketers not to have any preconceived notions about the pink ball in D/N Test and how difficult it is to handle its movement.
Viswanath, the ex Indian captain, urges cricketers not to have any preconceived opinions about the pink ball in the Day-Night Tests and explained how difficult it is to handle its movement.
India is playing its first-ever historic D/N match against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens Kolkata. The former Indian captain Viswanath was happy to be back at Eden Gardens where he captained Team India for the first time against Pakistan in the final test from 1979 to 80 season.
The 70-year-old Indian ex-captain said he was amused by reading several reviews on pink ball and how it gets batsmen into trouble.
Viswanath said, “Look, at the end of the day, it is a ball. You had a different ball when one-day cricket progressed as well and players coped with the white ball. It’s all about adjusting and if you cannot cope with that adjustment, it means you are not a good international cricketer.
“One of the views was that the raised seam would cause pain for the fielders. I’d say, ‘So what? We play with a hardball so what’s the fuss about? If it hurts then don’t play this game,” said the former cricketer while watching his first pink-ball Test.
Viswanath concluded by saying, “The pink ball affords batsmen an opportunity to spend time at the crease because the ball doesn’t reverse swing. From what I noticed, they were playing from inside the crease when they should have been on the front foot. They appeared terrified while facing the Indian bowlers. Liton Das stood out in the first innings with his 24, but unfortunately, he got injured.”
