India Bangladesh Day-Night Test match: Timings and pink ball details
Kolkata : Preparation for the historic Day-Night Test match between India and Bangladesh are on full swing and in the same regards, the authorities are considering all plus and minus which could happen during the game.
It has been reported that keeping the dew factor under consideration at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the authorities have decided that the game will start at 1PM and will conclude at 8PM.
According to a report in IANS on Tuesday, a BCCI official confirmed the development and said that sessions have been re-planned keeping in mind the need to call stumps by 8 pm as the ball would get really wet if play carried on post 8 pm in Kolkata in late November.
"Keeping in mind the dew factor, the BCCI approved CAB’s request to change the playing hours in the second Test. While play will start at 1 pm, the first session will end at 3 pm. The second session will start from 3:40 pm and continue till 5:40 pm. The final session will be played from 6 pm till 8 pm," the official said.
Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee welcomed that idea and said that if the game concludes by 8PM then there will be no dew trouble.
“The dew factor comes into play mostly after 8-8:30 pm as we have seen in white-ball game this time of the year at Eden. Therefore, I don’t think dew will be a problem,” Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) curator Sujan had said.
“We also have arrangements to tackle dew issues like treatment sprays and all that.”
Asked about how preparations are going as far as the pitch is concerned, he said “My preparation is the same like I do for any day game. I will make the pitch as sporting as possible. We have had good pitches at Eden in the past and it would be no different. It doesn’t change since it’s a Day-Night affair.”
The match has been buzzing due to its timing and the pink ball that will be used for the first time in a cricket match.
Why Pink Ball?
The Test matches have been normally using the red ball, but the problem is that the red ball takes a brownish shade during yellow floodlights, similar to that of the pitch. Pink colour, on the other hand, is visible clearly in the lights; also it deteriorates slowly as compared to other two balls – white and red.
