Green pitch to welcome first day-night

Kookaburra, which manufactures the balls used in Australia, say the difference between the red and pink versions is primarily a very fine film of extra paint used on the pink ball to help keep its colour.

The Test will prove a memorable occasion too as the start of play falls on the first anniversary of the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, fatally felled by a bouncer in a domestic match a year ago.

“We head into this Test match with a sense of excitement”, Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand Test captain, said ahead of the first day’s play. “I’m sure a lot of people are going to be watching around the world”.

All eyes will be on Gillespie’s home city of Adelaide where Australia face New Zealand in the first Test played using a pink ball.

While Test match attendances remain rock solid in England and Wales, the popularity of five-day cricket is in decline in certain parts of the world. Tea will be held after the first session instead of the second, with dinner scheduled between the second and third sessions.

The Adelaide Oval pitch had a green tinge on the eve of the test, promising something for the pacemen.

New Zealand’s only preparation for the match before arriving in Australia came in the form of a two-day trial in Hamilton this year, however they have since performed well in day-night tour matches in both Canberra and Perth. “I’m confident we’ll put in an even better performance than we displayed in the past two Test matches – but you’re never quite sure”.

“And for us to play in front of 40,000-odd people in a Test match is pretty fantastic, so we’re really, really excited about it”.

“Obviously that decision will be made as late as possible, but hopefully for our sake he’s good to go. If we have the final session on the fifth day under lights and the Test match result is in the balance, then it could be… something that is outstanding for the game moving forward”.

Friday’s pink-ball Test between Australia and the Black Caps in Adelaide is projected to attract the biggest crowd of the summer so far, and Hesson believes it could continue to be a success with the fans into the future. “There’s definitely something to that (declaring to bowl at night), if you think that’s the best chance to take a few early wickets”, he said.

So much of the suspense in Adelaide will center around the fitness of the pink ball and how it plays on the venue’s drop-in wicket. “It’s going to ask some different challenges of both Smithy and myself and our cricketing nous”.

FORMER Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has called out Phillip Hughes’ former mentor for his critical comments of Cricket Australia’s commitment to player safety. “I think Cricket Australia have gone over and beyond to do everything they possibly can in this space so something like this freak accident doesn’t happen again”, Haddin told Sky Sports Radio.

“It’s a tough time for his family and friends and we respect that”.