Boult: Test cricket a different game under the lights

It will be a year ago to the day since Hughes passed away at the age of 25 when Australia take to the field for the first day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.

Trent Boult, who dismissed opener David Warner (1) in the fourth over of Australia’s innings, said for the New Zealanders to prosper from Starc’s absence, they’d have to quickly contain the Australia batsmen.

The iconic, first ever day-night Test match is upon us and the one question that everyone seems to be asking is how will the pitch behave?

Siddle snared his 200th test wicket when he removed Doug Bracewell and was upbeat despite his team-mate’s departure.

Aussie quick Mitchell Starc has suffered a foot fracture, restricting his duties to batting for the rest of the test.

At the close, Australia were 54 for two with skipper Steve Smith not out 24 and Adam Voges on nine.

New Zealand started positively after Brendon McCullum won the toss in the historic match at the Adelaide Oval, reaching 80 for 2 in the first session and Tom Latham posting a half-century after play started at 2pm local time. “For cricket it’s definitely been a great day”.

“It definitely swung around a little bit there with the new ball and from what everyone is saying, it’s a different game under lights”.

Cricket Australia said Starc wouldn’t bowl again in the match but would likely bat if required.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum followed when an aggressive cut was edged behind off Starc, whose day ended prematurely due to an ankle injury that has long troubled the left-armer.

Boult added that the experimental pink ball “played out exactly as we forecast it”.

“The atmosphere out there was incredible from early on till the end of play”.

Starc had claimed three for 24 before he was forced off, including a searing yorker to trap Kane Williamson lbw, as his exit provide about the only sour note of a history-making day for Australia. You never want one of your team-mates to go down especially so early on.

In addition, cricketers were seen wearing bands in the domestic Australian tournament Sheffield Shield, Sport24 reported.

With Starc already ruled out Australia’s fortunes in the ongoing series-deciding third Test will bank heavily on Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.

Australia captain Smith said ahead of the third and final Test: “Obviously it was a pretty hard time for us all coming here a year ago just after the awful incident happened”.