Sachin Tendulkar feels the use of pink balls is not the way forward for Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar has 200 Test matches under his belt for the Indian side

India’s most celebrated cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, feels that the use of pink balls is not a “good idea” to popularise Test cricket and bring the crowd in. India is to play its 500th Test match at the Green Park against New Zealand on Thursday and the BCCI is leaving no stone unturned to make it a special occasion. The Board has invited ex-Indian Test captains to grace the match with their presence and serious matters on the future of Test cricket were discussed in Kanpur on the eve of the match.  

The Asian team played its first Test match against England on June 25, 1932 led by the legendary C.K.Nayudu, so it’s been a journey of 84 years. Gren Park being one of the oldest Test venues provides the perfect centre to host the historic match.

It is being observed that Cricket boards around the world are inclining towards the idea of organising Day/Night Tests which involves the usage of pink balls. Australia and New Zealand played the first ever Day/Night Test last year at the Adelaide Oval, but the master-blaster is strictly opposed to this idea. According to the reports of the Times of India, he said, "Personally, I do not like the idea of playing with a pink ball. A lot of adjustments are being made and I feel the pink ball isn't a good idea,"

The legendary batsman also raised doubts about the performance of the ball in varying conditions, "I am not sure how the pink ball will respond to evening dew. Pitches in different parts of the world behave in different ways. Like, Durban has a different surface when the sun goes down. Possibly, a better way is to have wickets that favour bowlers equally.”

Tendulkar along with other Test captains including Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri and Sourav Ganguly were also present at the media event last evening. Speaking on the Day/Night Test matter, Ravi Shastri said, "I agree with every bit of what Sachin said. Dew is a major factor. The way is to have a better balance between batting and bowling."

On the contrary, Dilip Vengsarkar feels that Test matches are bound to attract crowds if wickets are made of high quality. "Test matches will be interesting and will draw the crowds if we ensure better wickets. In England and Australia, Test cricket still sees a full house. You have to make good quality wickets,” said Vengsarkar.