[In Pictures] "Getting pink ball ready" - Team India sweat it out ahead of 2nd IND vs SL 2022 Test
Team India have begun preparations for their impending pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka, which starts on Saturday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared pictures of Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, and Axar Patel, among others, practicing with the pink cherry on Wednesday.
The photos appear to be from the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali where the first Test was held. Between the innings of that match, players like Shreyas Iyer, Siraj, Gill, Mayank and Axar, who weren't in the playing XI, regularly went to the nets to practice with the pink ball. Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma also did the same on Day 2 when Ravindra Jadeja was piling on runs with the lower order.
The second Test will be held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, beginning on March 12. Team India have touched down in the city and have reportedly started practicing with the pink ball there as well. But the official photos aren't out yet.
Here are the photos from BCCI's latest post:
Getting Pink Ball Ready 😀😎
#TeamIndia | #INDvSL | @Paytm https://t.co/94O8DDzs9x
https://t.co/E0PzccRJ3N
https://t.co/vC3QmmKEwY
This will be both India and Sri Lanka's fourth pink-ball Test and the 19th overall. While the hosts have won against Bangladesh and England, the Lankans have defeated Pakistan and West Indies. Both sides have lost their third day-night Test against Australia.
What happened in India's last pink-ball Test?
India's last pink-ball Test came against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat. It bizarrely lasted just two days - February 24 and 25 - as both teams failed to cross 150 in each innings.
Batting first, England put up 112, failing to counter Axar Patel (6/38)'s arm balls. Kohli and co. replied with a score of 146. Rohit scored a brilliant 66 and England captain Joe Root picked up his first five-wicket haul (5/8). England capitulated again in the second innings and got all out for 81. Patel again picked up a fifer.
The hosts then chased down 49 in the fourth innings without losing any wickets.