DUBAI: Sri Lanka will play their first day/night Test with the pink ball when they take on Pakistan in the second Test in Dubai beginning Friday.
Sri Lanka’s batting coach Hashan Tillakaratne, who has played 83 Tests for his country, has acknowledged that the pink ball under lights would be a new experience for Sri Lanka.
“The pink ball moved a bit in Sri Lanka but we have to wait and see how it is here,” Tillakaratne said following his team’s net session at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai.
Friday’s match will be the sixth day/night Test in the history of international cricket, and the first for Sri Lanka. During Sri Lanka’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2014, Pakistan had requested the Sri Lankan cricket board to play a day/night Test, but they had refused.
Now, the Sri Lankan batting coach realises his team would be heading into uncharted territory on Friday.
“But it is something new to us and everyone is looking forward to this match,” he added.
Referring to Pakistan’s pink ball match against West Indies in Dubai last year, Tillakaratne said the pink ball had neither supported the bowlers nor the track.
“We watched the match Pakistan played against West Indies, and the ball did not do much and it was a good batting track,” he noted.
Replying to a question, the coach told Geo News that Pakistan will miss the duo of Misbah and Younis but the team had plenty of good players.
“Misbah and Younis were great servants of Pakistan cricket and we always respect them,” he said. “I am sure there are enough good players and Pakistan will find the right solution.”
