India is a nation that loves cricket. Nothing can be more true than this. So what is expected is that most of the innovations that have happened in cricket should have started in this nation. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The biggest of all the changes that have occurred to the game after centuries since its inception, the pink match ball has been embraced by many nations except India, which is still reluctant to let go of the iconic cherry red test ball. However, this is not the only thing that the BCCI has been known to be reluctant about. Many new aspects of international cricket, from the decision review system of the 2020s to the acceptance of Test cricket under the lights, are still waiting for a heartfelt welcome from India’s cricket board of control. This is quite unlikely for a country where Cricket is such a big business that Fantasy cricket game app users today range between a whopping 7-8 million and growing. More than the gross population of many countries. So why is this pink ball still waiting for a light green light from the backboard before it can enter the Indian cricket arena?
The problem lies, in general, with India’s reluctance to adopt Day/Night Test cricket. But if BCCI Acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary is to be believed, it might only be a matter of time before India plays the pink ball. Mr. Chaudhury had stated that he raised the issue with officials and a decision would be made. However, there are reports that also suggest that India will not play a day and night test because it is not part of the World Test Championship. Either way, India playing a test match under the lights at home looks like a time-consuming affair. India and Bangladesh are the only two teams yet to play a test match under the lights. Australia have played a day and night Test as part of their home season for the last three years in Adelaide, against New Zealand, South Africa and England, and would definitely want to play one against India. Understandably, India would not want their first experience with the pink ball to be in the difficult conditions of Adelaide and will want to play one at home sooner. Especially when players take responsibility for their fans’ hopes and dreams. Having a good stat and winning is important especially in an era like this when fans are also directly involved in the game when they play fantasy cricket online through their own device.
With day/night Test matches out of the question, the question that ardent cricket fans are most concerned with is why the nation is so reluctant to embrace the Pink Ball. The tone factor definitely plays here. People are concerned about how the pink ball will perform in Indian conditions, with factors like flatter pitches, dew factor, and reliance on spinners. The Duleep Trophy in 2016-’17 and then in 2017-’18 were played under lights on an experimental basis and the pink ball did not get a vote of confidence from most players. Many Indian cricketers expressed that the pink ball offers very little help to closers and becomes particularly difficult to play when there is little spray. The other issues with the ball, made by Kookaburra at its factory in Melbourne, are slower wear that reduces swing, black stitching visibility and its conductivity to spinners. Spin factor is something that can be worked on on a spin track, but might not be effective on flattering ones, according to a hitter who played for the Duleep Trophy. Shannon Gill, Kookburra’s director of communications, responded to this concern that structural changes between the pink and red ball are being made to ensure visibility under the lights. Unfortunately, structural changes are what prevent Indian Cricketers from embracing the ball. The pink ball is also susceptible to wear and tear, which affects its visibility once the ball becomes covered in dirt and dust. However, Gill is optimistic about the progress the pink ball is making, saying that players are skeptical about adopting this new ball because they are generally used to playing with balls of a particular color and stitching. It’s just an adjustment stage, she said, and before long, we may have the pink balls hit our field.