England all-rounder Moeen Ali is confident he will adjust to the unique demands of the pink ball in their inaugural day-night Test against the West Indies, starting on Thursday.
“It’s different ... it feels lighter off the bat,” said Moeen, who hit a half-century but bowled just three overs during June’s day-night round of County Championship matches used as preparation for this Test.
“Sometimes you don’t feel like you’ve hit it, and it goes; other times you’ve nailed it, and it doesn’t,” he added. “But you get used to it... I did by the end of Monday’s net session.”
Jimmy Anderson may be slightly better prepared, having taken two wickets for Lancashire with the pink ball in a one-off round of County Championship matches in a trial of its use earlier this season.
The experiment received a mixed reception, with some players reporting that the ball went soft earlier than its red equivalent.
While red balls are dyed, waxed and lacquered, white and pink balls rely on paint to provide colour. The demands on pink balls, which must last 80 overs, are much greater than those on white balls, which are used for shorter forms of the game.
Moeen thinks more adjustments will have to be made, either side of the boundary, but believes day-night Tests are a major step forward. “It might take time for people to get used to it, but it’s a great idea... if it helps bring the crowds in,” he said, having found he has no problem bowling with the new ball. “The seam is good – it’s not quite as slippery – the lacquer seems different. It spun, maybe because the seam is hard.
“Seeing it is fine. It will be interesting at twilight, but I will try not to think about it.”
Team-mate Chris Woakes, who is returning from injury and will be playing with a pink ball for the first time, added: “People would like more experience before a Test match — but that is the nature of the beast.”
