Ind vs Ban 2019: Indian players share their experience with the pink ball

After the closely-fought T20I encounters, India and Bangladesh will be locking horns in a two-match Test series. While the two-match series will be flagged off in Indore on 14 November, the focus majorly lies on the second Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Marking a historic moment in Indian cricket, the match will be played in the day/night format.

Set to be the first day/night Test for both teams, the game has been the centre of much hype and frenzy given the prospects in store. While the very sight of watching Test cricket unfold under lights is likely to offer a new experience to the viewers, the use of pink ball has been a subject of debate too. With the players relatively unversed in playing with the pink ball, the tactics from both sides have become a matter of interest.

Getting a feel of the new addition, several Indian players practised with the pink ball in the nets on Wednesday. In a video posted by bcci.tv, the cricketers were seen sharing their experience.

Stating that Tuesday's net session was first outing with the pink ball, star batsman Rohit Sharma said the experience was unusual. "It's not something we've been playing with all these years. But I'm very excited and looking forward towards playing it," Sharma shared.

"Yes, there are some challenges with the pink ball but as you keep practicing, you get used to its pace and bounce. Since I've played with the pink ball in Duleep Trophy, I know how it behaves in a particular session. That experience will definitely help me," said India's middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara.

Skipper Virat Kohli opined that the batsmen need to be a bit more compact to tackle the pink ball early on. "You can't afford to play as many shots as you can with the red ball, maybe. It's quite a test and you need to have a solid game early on against the pink ball," Kohli added.

While opening batsman Mayank Agarwal lauded the initiative of using the pink ball, Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said that the day/night format gives the fans an opportunity to witness Test cricket after serving their work hours.

Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin too had their time with the pink ball. Jadeja mentioned that the game will be the first opportunity to observe how the ball behaves while Ashwin shared his enthusiasm for the historic Test. "I've never played with the pink ball before but I'm extremely excited to see how it goes at the Eden Gardens. I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully, I'll come out better and learn a lot more," the off-spinner said.

The historic Test will commence on 22 November at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Making the occasion special, the game is likely to be graced by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.