Pink Ball Test: Virat Kohli and India eye historic whitewash on Day-night Test debut
If India do manage to win the pink ball Test, it will be their 3rd consecutive Test series whitewash in a row - a feat unmatched by Indian teams of the past.
HIGHLIGHTS
If India do manage to win the pink ball Test, it will be their 3rd consecutive Test series whitewash in a row - a feat unmatched by Indian teams of the past.
HIGHLIGHTS
- India will be making their pink ball debut when they take on Bangladesh in 2nd Test at Eden Gardens
- If India manage to win in Kolkata, it will be their 3rd consecutive Test series whitewash
- India won the first Test of the 2-match series by an innings
As India step into the unknown with their maiden Day-night Test vs Bangladesh starting November 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Virat Kohli and Co. would love to start their pink ball journey with a victory. Already leading the 2-match series 1-0 after the win in Indore, India are targeting their 5th Test series win in a row - a run that goes back to their 2-0 win vs West Indies in 2018.
Incidentally, if India do manage to win the pink ball Test, it will be their 3rd consecutive Test series whitewash in a row - a feat unmatched by Indian teams of the past. After India beat West Indies 2-0 post the 2019 World Cup, they swept aside South Africa 3-0 in a 3-Test series for their 2nd successive clean sweep (4th at home). No other Indian team has ever completed 3 or more whitewashes in a row.
If India win in Kolkata it will also be their 12th successive Test series win at home, extending their own record which they claimed by beating South Africa last month. Before wrestling back the Freedom Trophy, India and Australia jointly held the record with 10 successive home Test series wins. In fact, Australia had two such streaks ending in 2000 and 2008. No other team has more than 8 home series victories in a row. The last time they lost a Test series at home was in December 2012 versus England. India's current streak started in February 2013 when they blanked the visiting Australians 4-0.
However, it will not be easy for the Indian team as they will face new challenges as they play with the pink ball. Ahead of the historic Test, there is much talk about the new-colored ball and how it will behave in the twilight zone.
When we played three years ago, it was with the Kookaburra ball but now it is with the SG ball. In terms of conditions there might a little bit of turn but the most challenging part will be the twilight period, India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha had said while speaking to the media on Wednesday.
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, is still coming to terms with the pink ball. For a batsman, it will be difficult to pick the ball but we have to adjust and there is no other option. Bowlers will definitely help.
"The ball has a lot more lacquer. I haven't even bowled a single ball with the pink ball. Obviously I just saw it. Sometimes I don't understand if its orange or pink, still coming to terms with that," Ashwin had said.
