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Starc praises historic day-night Test

30th November, 2015
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Even the pink ball’s most ardent critic accepts day-night Test cricket is here to stay.

Mitchell Starc teed off at the innovation earlier this year, saying he couldn’t see the ball at night on the rope and couldn’t understand why Cricket Australia went ahead with the project.

A thrilling three-day contest at Adelaide Oval and the venue’s record crowd for a non-Ashes Test had Starc reassessing things.

“It was fantastic for the game, fantastic for the series, for it to finish the way it played out,” Starc said on Monday.

“It’s still Test match cricket.

“I’m sure we’re going to see more of it.”

Starc wasn’t quite as glowing when it came to the developmental Kookaburra, noting conditions needed to be carefully managed for it to stay in shape.

“I’ve got to be careful what I say,” he quipped.

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“Leaving that extra bit of grass on the wicket and not having much of a square out there obviously protected the ball and it held up pretty well.

“If they’re going to keep doing that to wickets and squares it’s going to be around for a while.”

Cricket Australia was thrilled with a total attendance of 123,736, while the Nine Network was just as happy with prime-time TV ratings that peaked at 3.19 million.

Player feedback was more mixed and many of the 22 involved in the fixture are yet to speak.

However, skippers Steve Smith and Brendon McCullum couldn’t have been any more unequivocal in their support.

Australia captain Smith termed it a great innovation and great spectacle after his side’s three-wicket win.

“To get 123,000 people through the gates in three days is absolutely amazing,” Smith said.

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CA boss James Sutherland has already flagged the prospect of there being two day-night Tests next summer.

NZ skipper McCullum declared it a “roaring success”.

“People are voting with their feet and I think it’s here to stay which is great,” McCullum said.

Curator Damian Hough deliberately produced a grassy pitch, meaning ball dominated bat for the first time in the three-Test series.

McCullum felt there was a “touch too much” grass on the strip and it was something to keep in mind for future day-night Tests.

“It’s meant to allow Tests to be played at night and it’s not meant to differ or change how Test cricket is played,” he said.

“Under lights the pink ball responded a little bit much.”

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Darren Lehmann agreed but made it clear he thought the concept was “a keeper”.

“Maybe a little less grass, as a batter at night it was quite difficult,” Lehmann told ABC Radio.

“Apart from that it wasn’t too bad.

“They’re only little minor tweaks and I’m sure they’ll get that right.”

NZ coach Mike Hesson also praised the concept but criticised the ball.

“We all enjoyed the fact the ball swung but it’s just something we need to look at,” Hesson said.

“Because it’s a bit more of a haze than the normal ball.”

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McCullum suggested there was a lot for captains to learn in the pink-ball era.

“It asked some different questions,” he said.

“The evolution of pink-ball cricket will see spinners really operate at key times.”

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