BCCI orders 72 pink balls

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ordered 72 SG pink balls to be delivered by next week for use in the first-ever day/night Test between Bangladesh and India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 22.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly previously confirmed that SG pink balls would be used in the match and SG Sales and Marketing Director Paras Anand confirmed the order was placed.

The Indian domestic limited-overs Duleep Trophy was played with Kookaburra pink balls for three seasons before the BCCI returned to the red ball this year.

The SG ball had come under fire from some Indian players in the previous domestic season, with captain Virat Kohli saying it got scuffed up too early in comparison to the Dukes used in England and Kookaburra in Australia.

However, Anand was confident that top-quality balls would be delivered for the Kolkata Test. Compared to the red ball, the pink one attracts a lot more dust and tends to get dirty rather quickly, making it tougher to see.