Preparations for the inaugural day-night cricket Test will kick up a notch on Sunday, when the Nine Network runs a series of pink-ball tests at the MCG.
Australia’s next home Test series is against New Zealand starting in November, when the two governing bodies want to shed new light on the sport’s oldest format.
Details of the innovative Test are yet to be confirmed, but the colour of the ball will switch from red to pink in an unprecedented change for both players and broadcasters.
Cricket Australia and Nine have arranged a pink-ball trial to take place before play, after play and during the innings break of Sunday’s one-day international against India in Melbourne.
A new ball, 40-over ball and 80-over ball will be used.
“To make sure from Nine’s perspective that everything shapes up well … to see how the ball comes up for a TV viewer,” CA chief executive James Sutherland told AAP.
“They’re the sort of things that indicate we’re well advanced with our thinking.”
The ball has been the biggest stumbling block for the concept, which Sutherland hopes will “help support and sustain the existence of Test cricket”.
Initial feedback was poor, but this season’s Sheffield Shield trial was considered more successful.
CA is continuing to work with manufacturer Kookaburra and Sutherland is confident the change in colour won’t affect the contest.
“I’ve seen the balls used this season, how they’ve come back after being used,” he said.
“Outside the colour, there’s no difference to how the ball wears, the hardness and all of that.
“Anyone that is claiming anything different there, they’re certainly not looking at the balls for like-for-like comparisons.
“There’s increasing confidence that we’ll have something to show and something to confirm before halfway through this year.”
The Australian Cricketers’ Association surveyed players following this season’s Shield trial and is working through the results.
“We’ll continue to provide feedback to both CA and Kookaburra as part of this process,” ACA boss Alistair Nicholson said.
Both Australia and New Zealand will be afforded some pink-ball match practice before the Test, which is likely to be preceded by a day-night Shield round.
“We will provide all of our players and New Zealand players with warm-up matches under lights,” Sutherland said.
“We’ll be looking to schedule one or more tour games at night, depending on what New Zealand requests.”
Sutherland is hoping the later start will lift both attendance figures and TV ratings.
“We don’t see it just as an Australian initiative, we’re trying to take a leadership position … for more people around the world to attend and watch Test cricket,” he said.
The experimental nature of the contest will attract a lot of interest, but the standard of cricket should help too.
The Black Caps have been rising up the ICC’s rankings recently, with their most recent Test series loss coming in 2013.
“It shapes as a pretty interesting series. Their form is outstanding,” Sutherland said.
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