 "Gautam Gambhir")
The popularity of Test cricket, considered the purest format of the game, has come under threat. Dwindling crowds and the lucre of money as well as the more family-friendly Twenty20 cricket may have contributed to this decline. Playing the longer version of the game under lights with a pink ball is one way to arrest this decline, believe the administrators. In November last year, the first ever day-night Test match was played. In June this year, the pink ball made its debut in India, having been first trialled in first-class cricket in 2010. Gautam Gambhir, who last represented the country in 2014 and captained the victorious India Blue team in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy that was played with a pink ball under floodlights, tells Shakya Mitra about the experience and whether he sees this as an innovation that can take the game forward.
You were one of the most successful batsmen in the Duleep Trophy played under floodlights with a pink ball, yet you don't seem to be particularly enthusiastic about the idea. Why is that so?
I think I was misunderstood. I never said that I was against the pink ball; I only said that you should play Test cricket with a red ball and play Twenty20 or One Day Internationals with a pink ball. I am a traditionalist and I want that authorities should continue on Test cricket being played with a red ball.
You are not the first international cricketer to have been unimpressed. It is not just batsmen, last year even Mitchell Starc had raised doubts. What did you feel during the tournament and what feedback did you receive from the bowlers?
Once again I would emphatically say that I am not against the pink ball. Regarding my bowling colleagues, there was a mixed reaction from them. Some of them loved the pink ball, while some disliked it. Those who liked it praised it for its hardness and those who did not felt it wasn't getting old and that they could not get reverse swing going. As for the spinners, most of them liked it as the ball remained nice and hard and unlike red kookaburra ball, the pink ball had a better seam.
What was your fundamental concern: the colour of the ball, the playing of first-class cricket under floodlights or that the ball was behaving differently compared to when you play with a red ball?
My fundamental point remains the same - play Test cricket with a red ball, you may tinker in other formats.
Even before these innovations were recommended, the popularity of first-class and Test cricket was on the decline. Do you not believe that in order to attract more people to the grounds, innovations are necessary?
I think we need to work on the basics of the game, besides innovating. By that I mean we should look at playing first-class cricket and Test cricket on good pitches rather than rank turners and under-prepared wickets. You look at the recent Test series in England that they played against Pakistan - the grounds had good attendance, fast bowlers were doing well, spinners were able to operate their trade and even batsmen had their share of fun. So the wickets, by and large, were good. I think the fan wants an even contest. Besides, I think day-night Test cricket is a good idea and we should work on it.
You are still a player, but if tomorrow you were to become an administrator, how would you look to popularise Test and first-class cricket?
My take is simple: we should look to play on good pitches and make it an even contest. I think before reinventing the wheel, let us try to see if there is enough air pressure in the existing ones.
