Pink ball brings more responsibility for pacers

The Bangladesh cricket team departed for Kolkata from Indore today after their 10:30 am flight was delayed by two and a half hours. Before departure, pacer Al Amin Hossain talked to reporters at the team hotel and said that the pink ball challenge would be more difficult for the bowlers than the batsmen despite the swing and movement that the ball is said to offer. And hence the bowlers in the Bangladesh lineup will have more responsibility inorder to control the swing.

How an old pink ball will behave is still uncertain. The seam movement coupled with the movement off the pitch will also mean that bowlers need that extra bit of control.

"It will be more challenging with the old ball than the new one. During evening, when the flood lights come on, there is an increase in the movement of the ball. From what I understood in practice sessions, it will be a challenge for the batsmen, however I feel that the main challenge here will be for the bowlers. The team which bowl the best will be ahead in this game," Al Amin said.

Al Amin reiterated that even with the opportunity to train for two days before leaving for Kolkata after the first Test ended inside three days, the defeat set them back ahead of the second Test.

"We are all excited about the pink ball Test since it is a historic one. India are new to it and so are we. So, both sides enter uncharted terrains. I feel this will be a challenging one. We have been training for the past few days and we will also train in Kolkata for two days. So overall, with the poor result from the first Test, things are going to be very difficult. We are thinking of how we can play as a team and resist them in the Kolkata Test." said Al Amin.

Abu Jayed bowled well during the first Test, bagging four wickets that included scalps of four top-order batsmen. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Chetshwar Pujara fell prey to his swinging deliveries. While Bangladesh will once again be looking upto the seamers, the focus will also be on the pacers since the pink ball is likely to get more movement.

"The ball is made for everyone. We have to hit the right areas. There are differences too. It is a much harder ball then the red one and it is easier to shine. I think it will be good considering everything. The ball is very good and if the conditions remain okay then the responsibility will be big on the pacers who will be playing the match. We have to bowl well or else they will not be troubled since all their batsmen are world class. They have two to three batsmen who are among the top ten in the world. The pink ball will be a challenge for the bowlers. If we can play well then it will be an intriguing Test."