Kolkata: The pink ball is taking over the internet as the India vs Bangladesh first test match gets underway in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. The introduction of pink ball for the first time in a day night test match in India has stirred some interest about the ball.
Actually, Pink wasn’t the ball makers’ first choice. Ball makers tried optic yellow and bright orange before selecting pink for the day-night game as bright colour is easy to spot.
The classic red ball is good for 20-30 overs, but in case of the pink ball, it’s like a coat of paint on the car. The ball can be used for up to 80 overs before being changed.
There are certain qualities of this ball. The pink ball, like the white ones, also goes flat. The ball swings more in the first 10 to 15 overs. Once the ball gets softer, the swing disappears with no fading of the leather. Although pacers have said that they find it difficult to get reverse swing.
So, in simple words, we can say that regular white and red balls lose their colours early and are less visible at night compared to the pink balls.
