CHENNAI: Players longing to lay their hands on pink balls ahead of their maiden day-night Test between India and Bangladesh in Kolkata may have to wait a bit longer. Delivery of the balls by manufacturer Sanspareils Greenlands (SG) has been delayed, and the consignment will now be delivered to the BCCI either on November 10 or 12.
“We expected to get the six dozen balls ready for delivery by November 6 or 7, but now it has been delayed by a couple of days. The delivery will now be made to BCCI either on November 10 or 12,” Paras Anand, sales and marketing director at SG, told this newspaper on Wednesday.
Nagpur will host the third T20I between India and Bangladesh on November 10. Given the new schedule, both teams can now only get the pink balls after the T20I series, leaving players with little time to practice with them.
The first Test starts in Indore on November 14, with the hosts and visiting team expected to reach the city a day after the Nagpur T20I.
There were news reports that both India and Bangladesh might practice with pink balls under lights at Holkar Stadium, though Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) has denied receiving such a request.
Chances of the teams practising with the new balls in Indore now look bleak. The new schedule may also mean that the teams can now train with the pink balls only after the first Test.