XtraTime Web Desk: Indian captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday gave his first opinion on the SG Pink Balls which will be used for the first Day-Night test match between India and Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens from November 22. Kohli, who had a first feel of the SG Pink balls during the practice session at the Holkar stadium on Tuesday said, “I played against the pink ball for the first time yesterday and it swings a lot more compared to the red ball as there is extra lacquer on the ball which does not go away too soon and also the seam holds upright for a longer period of time. If the pitch has enough assistance, the fast bowlers will be in the game for a longer period of time.”
He went on to add, “I was given an opportunity yesterday to try it out. I think everyone of us went through the drill (of alternating between pink and red ball) as you require extra concentration to pick the pink ball after you have played the red ball. I think it also helped us work on our reflexes because if you play with the red ball in the nets and then arrive to play with the pink ball, it becomes quite difficult, which can be the case in the match as well. So, we tried this trying to put together a match scenario, get into the zone where we were able to pick the ball a lot better.”
On Tuesday the Indian batsmen, which included captain Virat Kohli, took throwdowns with the pink ball. However, the session did not see only pink ball being chucked at the batsmen – they had to alternate between red and pink balls and it was interesting to see how the batsmen adjusted and adapted their game accordingly.