"It just brings more unknowns" - Pat Cummins on the prospect of playing pink-ball Tests
Australia captain Pat Cummins feels day-night Tests still provide an element of mystery after the first pink-ball Test was played in 2015. The 28-year old said teams get to learn new things every game on the eve of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.
Although Australia have played all their day-night Tests at home, they have a perfect record so far. The journey of the pink-ball Test started at the Adelaide Oval between Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Thus far, they are unbeaten, with their most recent win coming against India.
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Speaking ahead of the second Test against England, Pat Cummins stated that eight day-night Tests are not a huge sample size from which to draw confidence. As quoted by Perth Now, he said:
"It just brings more unknowns. We have played eight pink ball games and it's still not a huge sample size but you feel like you learn something new each time you play one. The unknowns of it are kind of the levellers at some stages. You might get a period of play where the ball just starts swinging around and you can't really explain why."
While England will find respite from Josh Hazlewood's injury, Mitchell Starc would certainly threaten the tourists' brittle batting unit. The left-arm speedster has the most wickets in such fixtures, bagging 46 in eight games.
"One hour can be a long time in a pink ball game" - Pat Cummins
Cummins reflected on the Adelaide Oval wicket, saying it has a mixture of everything and expects every hour to be critical. The number one Test bowler stressed on precision in planning and playing as per the situation.
"Really nice coverage of grass, pace, bounce, a bit of spin - just a really good cricket wicket. One hour can be a long time in a pink ball game. Either nothing can happen for an hour or it can be darting around everywhere and you feel like you're going to lose a wicket every ball. You can have a think about planning ahead but it really is instinctive. You have to see and play what is in front of you. It's still a new format, still learning."
After a nine-wicket battering at the Gabba, England will aim to level the series. They are likely to bring in James Anderson and Stuart Broad to allow more penetration into Australia's top-order. Meanwhile, Australia have announced their eleven, with Jhye Richardson replacing Hazlewood.