Stats for pink-ball Tests should be separate, says Gavaskar
Legend Sunil Gavaskar made a radical suggestion ahead of the historic Day-Night Test between India and Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, starting Friday. The former Indian cricket team captain stated that pink-ball Tests should have separate stats maintained from red-ball cricket. At the moment, stats for both pink and red-ball versions are under one roof. Here's more.
"The only thing I feel is that the stats for pink-ball Test cricket should be separately maintained from red-ball cricket," he said to AFP. "Similarly for limited-overs cricket also the stats should be separate for red-ball and white-ball, or some sort of distinction made so that future generations can know what was what," the former Indian captain added.
Meanwhile, former umpire Simon Taufell said "adaptability" will be key for players and officials when the color of the ball will appear to change during twilight. "We need to adapt just like everybody else. I stood in a pink-ball trial at Lord's and it was different," Taufel told AFP. Earlier, Cheteshwar Pujara too had spoken about the change during twilight.
"When day-night cricket started not many thought it would be successful but look at the huge following it has now, so there's no reason to believe that day night Test cricket won't be successful too," Gavaskar said.
For Team India, majority of the cricketers will be playing with the pink ball for the first time in their careers. However, the likes of Pujara, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, and wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav have experience of playing with the Kookaburra pink ball in Duleep Trophy. It remains to be seen how the SG pink balls shape up at the Eden Gardens.
