Pink ball has finally arrived in India, and for the first time in the cricketing history of the country, it will be used in a domestic cricket match between Bhowanipore Club and Mohun Bagan in the CAB Super League Final, starting from June 18 at the iconic Eden Gardens. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, batting legend VVS Laxman and former Australia cricketer Dean Jones have backed the emergence of pink ball cricket and they feel that this innovation will bring back the lost charm of Test cricket all over the world.
Eden Gardens will also host the first day-night Test match ever in India, later this year. But the BCCI are yet to confirm the opponent, as New Zealand are not very keen on playing Test cricket under the lights in Indian conditions.
So in its bid to host a first ever Test match under the flood lights, Eden Gardens will experiment with the pink ball in the CAB Super League Final match. The match will be shown live on Star Sports as BCCI and CAB are leaving no stones unturned to make this effort a success.
"Brightness was a lot better. This is here to bring people back to the ground. It's all about marketing. Pink ball is the way forward. You have to find a way to bring people back to the ground. Everything needs a bit of innovation. Like nobody thought T20/IPL to be so popular till it came to being," Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI.
"We take time to get used to the changes but then realise that's the best way forward. Yes, there will be dew in winter. But we face the same problem with white ball. First, let's have a start. Let's see the problems and try to address it and fix the issues."
Jones wants the pink ball to swing a little more, which in turn will test the skills of the batsmen around the world.
"Now what we see is a bully type of a game and batsmen are having it too easy over the last decade," Jones said.
"But with pink ball it would be an even contest, and I'm liking the thing here. I would like to see the ball swinging a little bit more."
"I would like to see the defensive skills of the batsmen. I think it will be a better game to watch. Pink ball is here to stay."
Indian batting legend VVS Laxman was of the opinion that the pink ball will pose a new challenge for India's premier spinner -- R Ashwin.
"Ashwin's only concern will be the softness of the ball as after 50 overs it loses colour and becomes soft is what I heard. But with their calibre, the bowlers will find a way," Laxman added.
