Australia on front foot in first pink ball test

Steve Smith remains on 24 overnight, Adam Voges undfeated with 9.

It’s actually historic not because its the first time we’re using a pink ball in Test match cricket, but because it’s the first time we haven’t been swapping the ball every 20 overs this summer.

Australia bowled New Zealand out for 202 to take charge on the opening day of the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide.

Mitchell Starc grimaces after a delivery before limping off the pitch with a stress fracture in his right foot. The answer to all these questions will be out after this significant day-night fixture between Australia and New Zealand.

Resuming on 80-2, New Zealand lost their first three wickets of the session for just four runs, with opener Tom Latham, Ross Taylor and captain Brendon McCullum all falling through loose shots.

“To go out there in probably the toughest part of the day to be 2-50, it’s not a bad situation”.

The first day-night match in 138 years of Tests is one of cricket’s rare innovations and follows the advent of one-day internationals in the 1970s and the glitzy Twenty20 format in the last decade. “They are encouraged by what the pink ball Test match has to offer”.

The Australia vs New Zealand day-night Test match will be telecast live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD. You didn’t get much swing early on, but there was a bit of seam movement throughout the day, so a lot of comparisons with how it is with the white ball.

“That’s no different a year on out here this week, we’re going to do our best to play with a smile on our faces, hopefully play well for Hughesy, obviously it’s a tough time for his family and his friends and we respect that”.

“But it was a great day, wasn’t it?”

But the end came quickly after the dinner interval, with three wickets apiece to Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, and two each for veteran Peter Siddle to get him to 200 test wickets, and offspinner Nathan Lyon.

Cricket fans have paid tribute to the late Test batsman Phillip Hughes on the first anniversary of his death.

The dismissals of the Australian openers exposed some vulnerability against serious swing but the unprecedented conditions didn’t help the hosts.

Australia’s batsmen had 22 overs to encounter under the lights and they got off to a poor start when Warner was caught by Tim Southee at first slip off Trent Boult (1-15), passed fit after being a doubt due to a back injury.

The experimental pink ball withstood the first two hours and didn’t really produce any exceptional difference to the regulation red balls.