How’s a pink ball different from a red one? Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, & Yash Dayal explain

The India cricket team is getting ready for the pink ball Test. Currently in Canberra, Rohit Sharma’s team is set to face the Prime Minister’s XI at the Manuka Oval. Fearing they don’t have to relive the Adelaide nightmare once again, the batters and bowlers are taking the 2-day match seriously. 

Although that 36 all-out eventually resulted in a series victory, it still haunts fans and even players. But what did it happen? Well, because of the pink ball. The fact is, it’s quite different than the red cherry, and it troubles batters much more than the traditional ball. But why? There are a few reasons, and who better to explain it than international bowlers? 

How is pink ball different from red ball? Indian pacers explain

Practicing for the India vs PM’s XI match, four Indian pacers explained what makes the pink ball different from the red one. In a video shared by BCCI, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, and Yash Dayal explain what the difference is between the two balls. The main things they pointed out were that the pink ball is heavier, seams more (especially under the lights), doesn’t offer traditional or reserve swing, the seam isn’t easily visible, skids more and doesn’t get old quickly.

• Prasidh Krishna: It’s slightly bigger than the red one. The seam is dyed black, which makes it heavier and a lot more pronounced. It does give a lot more off the seam. It means it’s going to do a little more than the red ball in terms of shine and also when the lights come on and takes away the reserve swing.
• Mukesh Kumar: The seam isn’t visible that easily. Some batters see the shine off the ball and play it accordingly. But you can’t see it easily on the pink ball.
• Akash Deep: It skids a lot more and bounces a bit more as well. The biggest thing, however, is the amount of time the ball remains new. Usually, the red ball gets old after 5 or 10 overs; that isn’t the case with the pink ball.
• Yash Dayal: What I relaised after bowling to Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma) bhaiya in the nets is that the pink ball isn’t swinging much and you have to maintain your seam position. If you pitch the ball in the right places, it’s moving quite a bit from the surface, which is a benefit.

India’s record in pink ball Test matches