New Delhi: While Australia go into the second Test bruised and battered from the damaging loss in Perth, the fact that the contest in Adelaide will be played with the pink ball makes them overwhelming favourites. The Adelaide Test presents an ideal opportunity for the Aussies to restore parity in the five-match series. Even though Australia haven’t won a Test series after trailing in over 25 years, their record in Day-Night Tests is a cause of concern for the Indians.
Australia have won all but one of the 12 Day-Night Tests at home and hold a hundred per cent record at the Adelaide Oval. Having won all seven pink-ball Tests at Adelaide Oval, Australia will look to add one more win to their tally with a win in the second Test against India starting on Friday, December 6.
So, what exactly has worked for the Aussies in home day-night Tests and why are they so dominant in pink-ball Tests on home soil? Let’s find out the key factors that have contributed towards their dominance through a statistical guide.
Bat-first advantage
One of the big keys to success in Day-Night Tests in Australia is the bat-first advantage. Australia have used this ploy effectively to post big totals and put the opposition under pressure. Luck has also favoured them with the coin toss with Australia winning on all seven occasions they have batted first. In six of those fixtures, Australia recorded 400-plus totals.
West Indies, the only overseas team to win a pink-ball Test in Australia, also opted to bat last year and posted 311 runs en route to an 8-run win that ended Australia’s winning streak in pink-ball Tests.
New pink ball far more lethal
The new pink ball is far more lethal than the new red cherry. Since the 2015-16 season when the day-night Test made its debut, fast bowlers average 33.02 in the first 20 overs in day Tests and average 24.56 with the pink ball.
Australia’s fast bowlers have been simply irresistible averaging 18.87 with the new pink ball compared to 25.01 with the new red ball. The batters’ woes against the new pink ball, especially under the lights, are pretty evident. Data suggests that seamers pick up wickets more frequently in the first 20 overs in pink-ball Tests than in red-ball matches.
Seamers dominating the batters under lights
The new pink ball under the lights plays a massive role in deciding the results with the new cherry proving far more effective at day-night Tests compared to day fixtures.
Fast bowlers have flourished under lights in Australia, making it the most challenging stage for the batters, who average 20.30 in the final session, compared to 23.03 in the first and 32.01 in the second sessions. Australian pacers currently average 14.66 under lights across 12 day-night Tests at home compared to 20.82 and 24.57 in the first and second sessions respectively.
Stats: ESPNcricinfo
AUS vs IND: Ahead of the Adelaide Test, find out what has worked for the Aussies in home day-night Tests and why are they so dominant in pink-ball Tests on home soil? Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
