'Bowling to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma with the pink ball: India pacer's candid thoughts ahead of 2nd Test'

India and Australia are gearing up to bring the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Adelaide, where they will face off in an electrifying day-night Test match with the pink ball. The hosts are determined to bounce back and level the series after a challenging start.

India will be playing a pink ball match for the first time in over three years, last having played against England in Ahmedabad. The gulf of time between pink ball contests means there are plenty of players who will be competing against the pink ball for the first time in the Indian squad, providing a different challenge for the younger players in the team.

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transform: rotate(32deg); animation: shinerMooving 3s infinite; z-index: 1; filter: blur(1px); } @keyframes shinerMooving { 0% { left: -40px; } 100% { left: 150%; } } Top 15 buys at IPL 2025 Auction Rishabh Pant ₹ 27 Cr DC LSG Total Match 111 Total Runs 3284 Highest Score 128 runs Shreyas Iyer ₹ 26.75 Cr KKR PBKS Total Match 115 Total Runs 3127 Highest Score 96 runs Venkatesh Iyer ₹ 23.75 Cr KKR KKR Total Match 50 Total Runs 1326 Highest Score 104 runs Wickets 3 Best Bowling 2/29 Arshdeep Singh ₹ 18 Cr PBKS PBKS Total Match 65 Total Runs 29 Highest Score 10 runs Wickets 76 Best Bowling 5/32 Yuzvendra Chahal ₹ 18 Cr RR PBKS Total Match 260 Total Runs 37 Highest Score 8 runs Wickets 205 Best Bowling 5/40 Jos Buttler ₹ 15.75 Cr RR GT Total Match 107 Total Runs 3582 Highest Score 124 runs KL Rahul ₹ 14 Cr LSG DC Total Match 132 Total Runs 4683 Highest Score 132 runs Trent Boult ₹ 12.50 Cr RR MI Total Match 104 Total Runs 83 Highest Score 17 runs Wickets 121 Best Bowling 4/18 Jofra Archer ₹ 12.50 Cr MI RR Total Match 35 Total Runs 195 Highest Score 27 runs Wickets 46 Best Bowling 3/15 Josh Hazlewood ₹ 12.50 Cr RCB RCB Total Match 12 Total Runs - Highest Score - Wickets 12 Best Bowling 3/24 Mohammed Siraj ₹ 12.25 Cr RCB GT Total Match 93 Total Runs 109 Highest Score 14 runs Wickets 93 Best Bowling 4/21 Mitchell Starc ₹ 11.75 Cr KKR DC Total Match 41 Total Runs 105 Highest Score 29 runs Wickets 51 Best Bowling 4/15 Phil Salt ₹ 11.50 Cr DC RCB Total Match 21 Total Runs 653 Highest Score 89 runs Ishan Kishan ₹ 11.25 Cr MI SRH Total Match 105 Total Runs 2644 Highest Score 99 runs Wickets - Best Bowling - Jitesh Sharma ₹ 11 Cr PBKS RCB Total Match 40 Total Runs 730 Highest Score 49 runs Check Full Coverage

Speaking on a BCCI video, seamers Akash Deep and Yash Dayal reflected on the experience of the pink ball, and what they expect from it through the Adelaide Test.

"It's skidding, it's difficult for the batters, it has got more bounce. The main thing about this ball is that it remains new for a long time,” explained Akash Deep. “Generally, what we see with the red ball is that it starts getting old after 5-6 overs.”

‘What I felt bowling this ball in nets to Rohit and Virat…’

While the new red ball provided a challenge in Perth, it was clear that batting got easier as time wore on. However, the lacquer on the pink ball is expected to last much longer compared to the red Kookaburra, which will prove more testing for middle order batters.

Yash Dayal weighed in by saying that the natural movement of the pink ball itself is not as extreme, and that this may advantage the top order batters. "What I felt bowling this ball in nets to Rohit (Sharma) bhaiyya and Virat (Kohli) bhaiyya is that it's not swinging much. You have to keep the seam position straight. If you pitch the ball in the right areas, then it might change directions," explained the left arm seamer.

India will have bad memories of the pink ball in Adelaide, having been skittled for the infamous 36 the last time out. However, the form shown by Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul in particular will hearten the Indian unit, with their batting showing plenty of spine in Perth.

Moreover, with Jasprit Bumrah breathing fire and the bowling looking in top gear, the pink ball could cause Australia just as much trouble in testing conditions that have been prepared down under in recent times.

India will have some time to prepare with the pink ball in the preparatory two-day match against Prime Minister’s XI, but with rain affecting play on day one of the match at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, internal preparation will be more crucial for the team.

The second Test match begins at the Adelaide Oval on December 6.

 

 

 

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