Pink-ball cricket is upon us. Is it going to just be a gimmick or a reality of the modern game?
The lights that shine across all major monuments of Kolkata had changed their hue from blue, which is Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s favourite colour, to pink. This to acknowledge India’s first day-night Test match and its uniquely coloured pink ball. It was appropriate that this new format was being played in India’s greatest cricket ground, Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, and the crowds included the likes of Banerjee and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Unfortunately, for the latter, even though Indian cricketers were polite with her while being introduced, they were nothing like that to Bangladesh’s batsmen, bundling them out for just 106. Watching India bat under the lights at the end of a Friday is a good way to begin the weekend, according to most Indian cricket fans and therein lies the greatest attraction of pink-ball cricket. The Test format might be the longest and most challenging of all and the most adaptable of major sports but it is unwieldy both for fans at the stadium and even those watching on television. The shorter variants of the game, both one-day internationals and T20, are played in the evenings and afternoons to attract more spectators into the stadium. Moving Tests towards the evening should help get both working-age people and students in droves.
However, what would really make the game interesting is a viable opponent. Taking nothing away from the stellar performances of India’s outstanding pace battery away, Bangladesh has barely put up a fight. Our neighbour has improved tremendously over the past few years but this is clearly a team in strife, thanks to corruption allegations that have cost them their best player, Shakib Al Hasan. Success on the field and a good game are what ensure the long-term viability of a sport or format. India was initially aghast at T20 cricket and commentators called it a travesty. Then, it won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in a thrilling contest with Pakistan. And well, we know the rest. Would better competition have made a major difference? One could argue that there are few good teams in the sport right now. But at least India has made a start and the best part of pink-ball cricket may be when our boys tour — no more early morning starts to watch when they travel to Australia and New Zealand and morning cricket when India is in the Caribbean. As for us fans, there is a long way to go.