Australia and New Zealand are the two teams who will script a new chapter in the history of the longest format of the game - Test cricket.
Australia and New Zealand will lock horns in the first-ever day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval from 27 November, Friday.
The day-night Test match has attracted massive interest from cricket lovers and the ticket sales suggest that there will be at least 40,000 fans present on the first day of the third Test match between Australia and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
The ball is going to move around a little extra under the lights and that might just cause some trouble to the batsmen of both the sides. The pitch has a greenish topping so that the pink ball holds on for a little longer than it is expected. Much has been spoken about the visibility of the pink ball under the artificial lights but it seems that the batsmen are facing no problem whatsoever while compiling big totals.
Statistics show that 11 centuries and 22 half centuries have been scored in the last six pink-ball games. Michael Klinger recorded the highest total of 202 runs against Tasmania this summer. Also, all six matches have yielded a result. So fans can expect that the third Test between Australia and New Zealand is likely to produce a result at the end of the game.
The players from both the sides have played practice matches with the pink ball under the flood lights and they are pumped up to walk out in the middle to engage in the real duel.
"We know early on their (New Zealand's) key is swing bowling, and if it happens to be swinging around here you've got to see that spell of bowling out like we have done in the last two Tests. I think that's what we (Australia) have done well as a top six batting unit," Australia opening batsman David Warner told reporters on the eve of the day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval.
"We've put on the runs that we have, we've actually been able to see through that spell and wait for the bad balls and that's something Steve (Smith, Australia captain) wanted us to do as a top six unit was to score all the runs. So we've got to keep trying to score the bulk of the runs, and see out that first session."
Black Caps seamer Tim Southee is expecting that the pink ball will do quite a bit and he is eying the scalp of Warner and Aussie skipper Steve Smith in the forthcoming historic day-night Test match.
"A lot of planning always goes in before a Test series and we obviously haven't executed those plans to the standard we usually do. I don't want to give too much away. But we've obviously got plans in place ... especially for those two guys (Smith and David Warner) who are such key batsmen in that line-up," Southee told mediapersons on Tuesday.
Australia vs New Zealand Day-Night Test schedule:
3rd Test: Australia vs New Zealand.
Date: 27 November-1 December.
Time: 9 am IST (3:30 am GMT, 2 pm local time).
Venue: The Adelaide Oval.
TV listings: India: Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD 2. Australia: Fox Sports. New Zealand: Sky Sport. UK: Sky Sports. USA: Willow TV.