Ahead of the historic pink-ball Test match between India and Bangladesh at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind the move with the belief that this will help nurture the health of the longest format of the game. However, he was quick to offer a rather radical suggestion to go along with his optimism.
“When day-night cricket started not many thought it would be successful but look at the huge following it has now, so there’s no reason to believe that day night Test cricket won’t be successful too,” Gavaskar told AFP.
“The only thing I feel is that the stats for pink-ball Test cricket should be separately maintained from red-ball cricket,” he further added.
“Similarly for limited-overs cricket also the stats should be separate for red-ball and white-ball, or some sort of distinction made so that future generations can know what was what,” the former Indian captain added.
After the thumping win in Indore, Virat Kohli and company head into the Eden Gardens Test as overwhelming favourites and for Gavaskar, the side has all the bases covered and has the ability to be successful in all formats and in all conditions.
“This is a magnificent Indian team which can find a way to win even if they are playing on the snow in Iceland or sand in the Sahara desert,” said Gavaskar.
“So it does not matter whether any of the players have played earlier with the pink ball or not.”
Former Australia umpire Simon Taufel said “adaptability” will be key for players and officials when the colour of the ball will appear to change during twilight.
“We need to adapt just like everybody else. I stood in a pink-ball trial at Lord’s and it was different,” Taufel told AFP.
“Because colour is light and when you put that pink ball through broad daylight, through twilight period and under lights the colour changes.”
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