D/N Test: Bangladesh prepare by dipping pink ball in water

Indore, November 18

Today would have been the final day’s play in the first Test, if the Bangladesh batsmen had put up a better fight.

After being thrashed in the first match, however, Bangladesh’s players are still playing in Indore, though only in preparation for the second Test, which will be played under lights. Bangladesh had an intense practice session on the second consecutive day here.

The team has been focussing on training in that time of the day when the sun goes down and the floodlights take over. That could be a tricky passage of play in Kolkata. Talking about the training, Mehidy Hasan Miraz said the pacers had been dipping the pink ball in water, to simulate the likely effects of dew in the evenings in Kolkata. “The pace bowlers will continue to bowl by dipping the ball on water in the coming days,” Miraz said. “I think we can adapt in the coming days. Maybe it will skid a little more when it is wet. Spinners can get to skid the ball. There’s also likely to be bounce and turn.”

“I batted against the pink ball. It was moving and goes off rapidly after pitching. It goes off the bat quite quickly too. I think it swings more, and you can cut the ball too,” he added. “We are still new to the pink ball. We haven’t got a lot of time with it but we are trying to cover as much as possible. There’ll be an initial struggle, but it will only get better as we go along. But it will be important to play for long, particularly after a batsman has adjusted to it.” Miraz said sighting the ball in the twilight was proving to be a challenge.

Bangla pacer Abu Jayed takes tips from Shami 

Bangladesh pacer Abu Jayed has said he took tips from Mohammed Shami after the first Test and spoke about his preparation for the pink-ball Test. “There are some similarities between him and me since we both use the seam. I have seen him bowl a lot of times and I paid extra attention on how he was bowling. I have compared his height to mine to find out if he is taller than me or of equal height. Then I figured, maybe, I could bowl like him,” Jayed said. — Agencies