Starc in the pink for historic day-night Test

Smith said the pink ball had been refined to the degree that it should satisfy critics concerned about its durability, and the first day-night test match should generate some extra excitement – and bigger crowds than the previous matches in the series.

While Cricket Australia immediately boosted the medical presence at grounds and now requires all players to wear a helmet that meets certain safety standards, Hughes’ long-time coach and mentor Neil D’Costa said he was still not convinced it was enough. “But having a bit of a coarse, thatchy grass should hopefully (help the pink ball) bite into that grass and get some spin”.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland is a known supporter of Mark Taylor’s suggestion to shorten matches to four days, while former Australian captain Ricky Ponting won support earlier this year when he suggested the toss should be automatically won by the visiting team. I am confident that, as players have adjusted to a myriad of changes within the global game over more than 100 years, they will adjust in this instance too, and, in doing so, play an important role in taking Test cricket to a new level. A drawn series, I think, we would consider that as a loss, because we’ve played so well.

“Hopefully it goes off brilliantly (and) there’s no challenges, no problems. But day-night Test cricket has the potential to be one way of ensuring that cricket’s traditional format remains relevant in the modern age and continues to thrive in the coming years”. “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”.

“The basic idea of day-night Tests is to have packed audiences, which isn’t bad at all”, Miandad told The Express Tribune.

“It’s a really exciting concept I can’t wait to get out and give it a crack”, he said. Neither team went past 200 when they placed each other as the likes of Mitchell Starc, Tim Southee and Trent Boult ruled the roost.

“Talking to the players and captains and umpires, we felt that it was just a good balance between bat and ball”.

A odd quirk of the calendar will see cricket’s future collide with its recent past at the Adelaide Oval this afternoon.

Critics say it won’t be durable enough to last 80 overs because of color deterioration as it gets scuffed and the white seam will make it hard for batsmen because of a lack of contrast. “We’ll take the lead from the Aussie guys on it and be as respectful as we possibly can be”. Obviously it’s a tough time for his family and his friends and we respect that.