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After India demolished England by 10 wickets in Ahmedabad inside two days, a debate has started regarding the Pink-ball and the pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium. While cricket journalist Simon Hughes was certainly vocal about the pitch, he also went on to explain why all the batsmen (from both sides) struggled against the Pink-Ball. Joe Root also reflected on the fact why 21 (out of 30) wickets in the match fell of straight deliveries.

Joe Root unhappy with Pink-ball

The England skipper explained in the post-match conference that batting was difficult because of the Pink-Ball used in the match. Root said, “I would say it was more to do with the ball (Pink-ball). The plastic coating on the ball gathered pace off the wicket.” He added that the batsmen struggled majority of the times because they were beaten for pace rather than line. Reflecting on the pitch and conditions, Root pointed out that his five-wicket haul sums up that it was quite a turning wicket.

Hughes explains the distinction between Pink-ball and Red-ball

Simon Hughes opined that Pink-Ball is an unusual thing to play against. He explained that the seam of Pink-ball is quite hard to see, as compared to the usual Red-ball. The 61-year-old said, “There is less distinction between the seam itself and the shiny part (in pink-ball).”

The Analyst added that another reason why pink-ball is difficult to play against is due to the extra lacquer added on it to keep its colour. He believes that the extra skiddiness that comes due to the lacquer troubled all the batsmen.

Hughes also expressed his disappointment on the pitch used at Narendra Modi Stadium for the Pink-ball Test. “$110 million for the stadium and about 50 cents spent on the pitch,” said the Analyst. He added that the ground staff certainly need to prepare a better pitch for the last game. According to him, the third Test pitch was totally unsuitable for a 5-day Test.

The final Test between India and England will be played at the same venue (Narendra Modi Stadium) in Ahmedabad. The match is scheduled to start on March 4.