Ahead of the day/night Test match against Australia that begins on Thursday, India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane says batting in the twilight period of such pink-ball games is the challenge.
In the only day/night Test India has played, against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in November 2019, India suffered a batting collapse in the 45-50 minutes during twilight, slipping from 289-4 to 331-9, on the second day.
“It is a challenge. The ball behaves differently during the day and differently once the lights are on. The pink ball moves a bit early in the day, but then it gets slightly better for batting. However, the twilight period is challenging. The pace increases in that period, so you have to handle that period well. That’s the only difference,” Rahane said ahead of the first of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy that begins on Thursday.
Rahane feels focus will be the key as a batsman in the pink-ball Test. “You need to focus and concentrate as a batsman. Communication will be the key amongst the two batters. Batting in the twilight period – those 40-50 minutes – will be the key. If you bat well in that situation, then it becomes really good,” he said.
The team travelled Down Under a month in advance and played two tour games. And that, Rahane feels, has helped the side. "We could plan well as to when to do training sessions, when to do practice sessions. The management has planned things well - in terms of giving offs to players and balancing it. Initially, it was a challenge for the management as well since the three teams were here," Rahane, who scored a century in the first tour game, said.
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