India take on Sri Lanka in the second Test at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. It will be a Pink ball Test, and it will bring additional challenges for both batters and bowlers alike. There are personnel changes expected in both teams, with India likely to bring in Axar Patel in place of Jayant Yadav, whereas Sri Lanka have already ruled out Dushmanth Chameera and Pathum Nissanka due to injury.
It will be the third Pink ball Test in India. The previous D/N Test match was done and dusted inside two days, with Axar Patel wreaking havoc on the English batters. Unlike the Pink Kookaburra ball, the Pink SG Test ball that will be used in the match will have a slightly more prominent seam. In Motera, Ahmedabad, where the previous D/N Test was held, Patel made full use of this and ended up with figures of 11/70.
Patel is a tall bowler and can get the extra bounce. Not a huge turner of the ball, much like Ravindra Jadeja, Patel relies on his line, which is usually onto the stumps against a right-hander, along with subtle variations in his speed and bowling angles. The majority of Patel’s dismissals against England at Ahmedabad were off straighter balls that skidded off the surface and hurried the batters, getting them either bowled or trapped in front – 10 off his 11 wickets were either bowled or LBW.
These dismissals were also a result of the nature of the ball. The extra lacquer on the ball made it skid off the surface rather than get grip off the surface. This will also bring someone like Mohammed Shami into the game, who relies on his accuracy and seam movement off the pitch. His nippy pace can rush the batters, and the Pink ball will play to his advantage.
India might be tempted to bring in Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI, but Patel’s scarcely believable record at home will give a headache to the Indian team management. Considering the weather, the dew might not play a huge role, but the Pink ball will be expected to move around, especially during the twilight period.
In terms of batting, batters who prefer playing in the straighter areas will fare better as playing horizontal bat shots against this ball could become a risky option. We might see Ashwin and Patel bowling inside the first ten overs of the innings to take advantage of the ball’s hard surface.