Pink affair just the beginning
By Arindam Basu
There are rare moments in history when the aftermath of an event gets more importance than the moment itself. Mohun Bagan beat Bhowanipore by 296 runs in India's first-ever pink ball four-day match under lights at Eden Gardens, but it set the ball rolling literally for the CAB to make a bold claim for hosting the first ever official day-night Test in the subcontinent.
Mohun Bagan may have walked into the history books having won the preparatory match that heralded a new era, but the talking points were the pink Kookuburra and new Test format. Mohammed Shami took 7 wickets, and Arindam Ghosh hit a century for the winners to mark their presence. Parttime seamer Vivek Singh was the wrecker-in-chief in the second innings, taking 5 for 32 to bundle out Bhowanipore for 199.
Irrespective of the result, the authorities have shown that Eden Gardens is ready to host the Test against New Zealand, while the pink ball has emerged as a fantastic innovation considering that the game is loaded so heavily in favour of the batters.
There are rare moments in history when the aftermath of an event gets more importance than the moment itself. Mohun Bagan beat Bhowanipore by 296 runs in India's first-ever pink ball four-day match under lights at Eden Gardens, but it set the ball rolling literally for the CAB to make a bold claim for hosting the first ever official day-night Test in the subcontinent.
Mohun Bagan may have walked into the history books having won the preparatory match that heralded a new era, but the talking points were the pink Kookuburra and new Test format. Mohammed Shami took 7 wickets, and Arindam Ghosh hit a century for the winners to mark their presence. Parttime seamer Vivek Singh was the wrecker-in-chief in the second innings, taking 5 for 32 to bundle out Bhowanipore for 199.
Later, Shami said: “I’ll prefer pink ball anyday. The best thing is you bowl only one session under the sun. The ball starts doing its trick once the lights are on.” Shami, who was adjudged man-of-the-match, added: “If the condition is dry, the ball will reverse. I got it to reverse in the first innings. The seam usually does not remain intact after 40 overs for the red cherry, but with this pink ball it remains firm.” Having recovered from a knee surgery, Shami is eyeing a Test recall in the four-Test series in the West Indies next month. “I’m working on getting back my rhythm. The time spent during the injury was the worst part of my life. This ground is always special to me, and the pink ball debut has made it even more special,” Shami said.
Irrespective of the result, the authorities have shown that Eden Gardens is ready to host the Test against New Zealand, while the pink ball has emerged as a fantastic innovation considering that the game is loaded so heavily in favour of the batters.
