Speaking at an event in Singapore, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Rahul Dravid said day/night Tests will bring the crowds back to stadiums. He also explained how it will be difficult to handle the dew factor
Bengaluru: Ahead of India’s historic day/night Test against Bangladesh, batting legend Rahul Dravid has backed the idea of playing the five-day format with the pink ball. However, he has one concern.
India and Bangladesh are preparing for their first-ever day/night Test. It will be played at Kolkata’s iconic stadium Eden Gardens from November 22. This is part of the two-match series and India hold a 1-0 lead after winning the contest in Indore.
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Speaking at an event in Singapore, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Dravid said day/night Tests will bring the crowds back to stadiums. He also explained how it will be difficult to handle the dew factor.
“We trained at 6 pm (at NCA). For the first hour or so, it was fine. Only around 7.30 pm did the dew come in, and that’s my only concern. To get the crowds back into the stadium, the pink ball Test is a welcome addition,” Dravid said while in conversation at University of Singapore, Economic Times reported on Tuesday (November 19).
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“It is not the only solution to rejuvenate Test cricket, but it is one of the things we need to do. If only we are able to control dew, the pink ball Test can become an annual feature in India,” he added.
“You make it tough for the bowlers when the ball gets wet and takes the swing away... it (pink ball) is a novelty that will attract people to the stadium and must be tried,” Dravid said.
Under the supervision of Dravid, some of the Indian players including Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal had trained with pink balls at Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy (NCA).
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