IND V AUS 2020: Steve Smith doesn't want pink ball to replace red ball in Test cricket
Shane Warne recently suggested that the pink ball should be used for all Test matches including day games, as he believed the red ball didn't offer much to the bowlers. However, Australia's batsman Steve Smith disagrees with Warne, suggesting he would like to keep red-ball cricket alive.
On the possibility of playing all Test matches with the pink ball, Steve Smith said:
''No, I don’t think that would be the case. Personally, I would like to keep red-ball cricket alive. I think one match per series or something like that is a good amount.''
''We have seen in Adelaide for instance, it worked exceptionally well, it’s a great spectacle. We have played good day-night games there. I personally like to keep red-ball cricket alive.'' Steve Smith added further.
Australia's record in pink-ball Tests is terrific as they have won all 8 of their Day-Night Test encounters. It is generally accepted that batting in pink-ball Tests isn't easy as the pink ball 'zips' around a bit more than the red ball. Batting under lights is even harder with the pink ball seeming to move around a lot more.
Steve Smith faced a rare Test failure against India
Steve Smith managed just one run in the first Test in Adelaide, as he was undone by Ravichandran Ashwin. For India, surprisingly, it was Ashwin who did most of the damage in the first innings when all the focus was on the Indian seamers and how they will bowl under lights with the Pink ball.
As of now, the Day-Night Test is still a rarity, and it remains to be seen whether we would see pink balls being used for all Test matches in the future. Maybe it is batsman in Steve Smith talking here with more red-ball cricket meaning he can potentially keep scoring tons of runs.