December 4, 2024: Ahead of India’s second Test against Australia in Adelaide, KL Rahul spoke about the challenges of playing with the pink ball, particularly during a day-night match. This will be Rahul’s first pink-ball Test, and he shared his thoughts on how different it feels from the traditional red ball.
Rahul, who played key knocks of 26 and 77 in India’s dominant victory in Perth, highlighted the differences between the two balls, especially in terms of visibility and how the ball behaves. He explained that the pink ball seems harder and quicker, both in terms of how it feels when batting and while fielding. The ball travels much faster, making it more difficult to judge, especially when picking it up from the bowler’s hand.
He mentioned that it’s been a challenge to get used to the pink ball, especially since this is his first experience with it, but he is relying on the advice and insights from teammates who have played with it before. “For us, it is just about speaking to the guys who have played and trying to understand what they found hard, how they managed, and any changes they made to their approach,” Rahul said.
In addition to the visibility challenge, Rahul noted that seam movement was something they experienced during their time in the nets and it was also noticeable during Day 1 of the Perth Test. With the pink ball, he expects more assistance for fast bowlers, with the possibility of seam movement playing a key role in the match.
Rahul emphasized that despite the challenges, the team has been preparing hard and gaining an understanding of how the pink ball behaves. He stressed keeping things simple and adapting to whatever comes their way during the game. He also expressed his excitement about playing his first pink-ball Test, saying, “I am going in with a clean slate and I will go there and see what really happens and try and face up to whatever comes my way.”
India go into the second Test with a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) after their record-shattering 295-run victory in Perth. The match, which begins on Friday, will be played in a day-night format at Adelaide Oval.
This Test will be particularly significant for the Indian team, as they look to put behind the memories of the infamous 2020 Adelaide pink-ball Test, where they were bowled out for just 36 runs — their lowest-ever Test score.
The Australia squad for the second Test includes Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh, Nathan Lyon, and others, while India’s squad features key players like Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah.
With both teams in good form, and India coming off an impressive win, the second Test promises to be another exciting chapter in the ongoing series.