India should embrace pink-ball – Harbhajan

INDIA’S reluctance to play a day-night test on their next tour of Australia has surprised spinner Harbhajan Singh, who remains convinced Virat Kohli’s team are skilled enough to conquer the challenges of pink-ball cricket.

India have shot down a proposal to play what could have been their maiden day-night test in Adelaide in December, worried that their inexperience in the conditions could hamper their bid for a rare series win in Australia.

“I don’t know why they don’t want to play day-night test matches,” Harbhajan, India’s third highest wicket-taker in test cricket, said.

“It’s an interesting format and we should try it. I am all for it. Tell me what’s the apprehension of playing with pink ball? If you play, you can adjust. It may not be as difficult as it seems.”

Indian board officials have gone on record as saying they would back anything that gave Kohli’s team their best chance of winning the four- match series against Australia, who have won all four day-night tests they have hosted.

Australia’s former test batsman Mark Waugh has called it a “selfish” decision by the Indian board which also hindered efforts to reinvigorate test cricket.

Harbhajan felt the board may have underestimated the skills of their own players.

“We have fast bowlers to trouble them. And what makes us think our batsmen can’t take up the challenge of facing Aussie pacers?” asked the 37-year-old, who played the last of his 103 tests in 2015.

“It’s a challenge, and what’s the harm in taking up the challenge? When we were new to test cricket, we had only learnt how to bowl with the SG test ball and then slowly learnt to bowl with Kookaburra and Dukes.

“Don’t you accept the challenge of playing England in overcast conditions? If we could take up that challenge why not pink-ball cricket?”

● Joe Root believes a year in the captaincy has given him the experience he needs to move up the England batting order to the pivotal number three position for the two-test series against Pakistan beginning on Thursday.

Since replacing Alastair Cook as the test captain last year, Root has batted at number four and juggled the dual demands of being the leader of the side as well as its batting mainstay.

Coach Trevor Bayliss, though, believes England’s best batsman should come at number three and the axing of James Vince for the series against Pakistan has ensured Root’s elevation.

“I think it’s an opportunity for me to take on a bit more responsibility at the top of the order,” Root said.

“I’ve had a year in the captaincy now and I feel I’ve gained enough experience to feel comfortable doing that.”

The England top order’s struggle for consistency was evident in their series defeats in Australia and New Zealand as Gary Ballance, Tom Westley and Vince all failed to establish themselves at number three.

Root’s highest test score of 254 came at number three, in a 2016 test against Pakistan.

“I did it (number three) for one game in New Zealand and it didn’t work out there but this is a great opportunity to do it at home and it’s a great opportunity moving forward,” Root said. – Reuters