Fairly New Concept With Pink Ball, Need Mental Adjustments: Bumrah

The Indian squad is undergoing “mental adjustments” ahead of the pink-ball Test versus Sri Lanka at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah voiced regards the new concept with the pink ball ahead of the second test match. Here is about Bumrah’s Views On Pink Ball Cricket.

He revealed that since the players never had played with the pink ball or Test cricket under led lighting on a frequent basis, they had to make special plans, and they concentrate on examining and evaluating the conduct of the pink ball in the lead-up to the historic match, which will then be contested with no limitations on the crowd.

“We have to make mental adjustments while preparing for the Pink Ball Test. Playing under light, fielding, and bowling with Pink Ball are things we need to get used to and we keep all of these things in mind while in the training session,” Bumrah in an Interaction ahead of the 2nd test against Sri Lanka.

“We are not used to catching or bowling with the Pink Ball. It is still a fairly new concept for all of us and we are trying to learn with every Test,” he added.

Bumrah’s Views On Pink Ball Cricket:

We haven’t played a lot with the pink ball: Jasprit Bumrah

Well after Kolkata Test in November 2019 versus Bangladesh, in which Virat Kohli struck his penultimate international hundred, and the Ahmedabad Test in February 2021 versus England, this would be India’s 3rd day-night Test at home. Surprisingly, India won both of these matches in 3 days, giving them a flawless record versus Sri Lanka.

But, perhaps one of India’s most dismal Test performances was in a pink-ball match in Adelaide in December 2020, since they were dismissed for 36 runs before roaring back to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“It all depends on the individual. Pink Ball looks different, the speed at which it comes to you on the field and the amount it moves or spins is also different. Timings for the D/N Test are also different, so the ball might not do so much in the first session but might start to do more under the light. We have played the Pink Ball Tests on all different surfaces, so there are no set parameters for it.”

Meantime, Bumrah, who just bowled 4 overs in the 2nd innings in Mohali, from which India thrashed the tourists by an innings & 122 runs, blamed the lower margin of bowling on the spinners “doing their job” rather than workload management, which he has said would not be executed in the midst of a Test.

“Growing up, we haven’t played a lot with the pink ball. We are not used to catching the pink ball, bowling with the pink ball, and as batters, playing against the pink ball. Whatever little games we’ve played we’re trying to get feedback from those games – certain ways the ball behaves under the lights, and how to adjust to you. We’re still very new in this format. We’re playing a pink-ball Test after a long time”, Bumrah concluded.