Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has never been a fan of the pink ball despite Australia's impressive record at home in the Day-Night format of Test cricket but is eager to bowl with the pink ball during the series against India in the coming Australian summer.
India had earlier declined the offer to play a Day-Night Test at Adelaide during their 2018/19 tour. But later made a debut in the format at home with the SG pink against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens. Moreover, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly admitted in February that the board has agreed to a pink-ball Test against Australia in the impending tour.
“I think absolutely a pink ball test in this series against India is a great thing,” left-armer Starc told reporters in a video call on Tuesday.
“The fans love it, it creates a different aspect of the contest. I think bat and ball are a lot closer together.
“India have obviously played a pink ball test at home so they’re not completely foreign to it.
“I guess in terms of the advantage if you like, we do have a good record at home with the pink ball.
“It’s no different to us going to India and they’ve got the advantage there.”
Australia have never lost a pink-ball Test, winning all seven they have played and Starc has played a key role in their string of victories.
The left-arm pacer has bagged 42 wickets in seven Tests at 19.23 as against his career average of 26.67.
Starc also spoke on the new no-saliva rule to shine the ball imposed by the ICC to contain the spread of coronavirus.
“Kids aren’t going to want to be bowlers because as we saw in Australia over the last couple of years, there were some pretty flat wickets and if that ball’s going straight, it’s a pretty boring contest,” he said.
Sweat is the only option at hand for the bowlers in matches post the pandemic, although ICC's Cricket Committee head Anil Kumble reckoned that the ban is only a temporary one.
