Australia will host New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval in a match which starts on Friday afternoon and is set to span five days and nights.
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An Australian Army bugler plays the last post to commemorate the 100th anniversary of ANZAC and the death of Australian Test cricketer Phillip Hughes 12 months ago, before the first cricket test match between Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane November 5, 2015.
Although both teams have played warmups under lights with the specially developed pink ball, the match is something of a leap into the unknown.
“Hopefully it goes off brilliantly and there’s no challenges, no problems”.
“Australia have had more pink ball work than what we have”, McCullum said.
“This could be something that is outstanding for the game moving forward”.
In truth, leading up to this Test, a decider of sorts as Australia look to close the series 2-0 while New Zealand aim to salvage an honourable draw, the players have aired a certain amount of trepidation.
Back in June, New Zealand cricket association agreed to play a day-night Test match in the Trans-Tasman series.
“I think it’s really important that we continue to support the Hughes family and show our respect”.
“I think that would be a massive mistake if they got rid of the fifth day”. “I think it is a really exciting concept”. Plus, he bowled well in Perth with the pink ball in the two-day game against a West Australian XI last weekend.
Both Smith and McCullum did concede that, after two Tests where bat dominated ball with the average team innings totalling 338, the tables may turn in favour of the bowlers with the introduction of the pink ball. Whatever the lacquer they’re using – it’s supposed to have had 10 years’ development – I’d hate to see what the first few years were like. “Now it’s a matter of going out there and trying to execute those sorts of ambitions”.
“We don’t often get the opportunity to play in such a big series and test ourselves against the best over a long period of time”. “Credit to Australia. They put us under a lot of pressure early on”.
“Over rates will be interesting as well heading into this test match”.
“But we re also not going to push him if there s a risk”.
“You can’t safeguard against everything, I guess”, McCullum told reporters.
According to Cric Buzz, Kookaburra – which manufactures the balls used in Australia – claim, “the difference between the red and pink versions is primarily a very fine film of extra paint used on the pink ball to help keep its color”.
Following the retirement of Mitchell Johnson after the Perth test, Peter Siddle joins Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Australia’s pace attack, with James Pattinson the 12th man. “I just hope in my lifetime that I never have to see anything like that again, and we can remember Phil Hughes for what he was, which was a great bloke and an even better player”.
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Kane Williamson is also in a rich vein of form and scored an impressive 166 in the first innings of the second Test match, sharing a 265-run stand with Taylor.
