Follow UsIn early 2010s, Test Cricket saw a massive drop in attendance across the globe as the fans got attracted towards a high-adrenaline and fast-paced cricket, which was the T20 format.
To bring back fans to watch Tests, the Day/Night Test came into existence with the red cherry being replaced by a pink ball. It was introduced to add a new dimension to the longest format of the game and make it more appealing to the younger demographic.
Adelaide hosted the first-ever pink ball Test between Australia and New Zealand in November 2015. 10 years in and 24 matches later, has the pink ball made any difference in Test cricket or is it just existing for the sake of existence?
Drop in the length of Test Matches
The pink ball Test has completely taken out the aspect of players fighting it out till the end of Day 5 and the match ending in a draw, as all 24 D/N Tests so far have seen a winner.
Moreover, these matches have not been able to go the distance, as only six of 24 games have seen Day 5. The bowlers have completely dominated the batters, resulting in matches getting inside four days in 16 instances (3 days - 9 | 4 days - 7).
Teams batting first have a massive advantage
Toss has played a crucial role in D/N Tests as teams who have chosen to bat first have won 12 of the 20 games compared to teams who have chosen to field. Only once has a team has managed to win after opting to field first, with New Zealand thrashing England by an innings in Auckland in 2018.
The massive difference in victories between batting first & second has almost made the toss predictable.
Pacers have outperformed Spinners with the Pink Cherry
Bowlers have had a field day with the ball. The pink ball has done a lot of talking, resulting in quick wickets and early end to the matches.
Pacers specifically, have been outstanding, averaging 23.77 compared to spinners, who have averaged 30.09. They have taken 23 five-wicket hauls, which is almost one fifer per match.
Teams are getting bowled out easily
Batters have had a tough job adapting to the colour of the pink ball and its behaviour. This has resulted in an increase in low scores, as 52.2% of all outs in pink ball Tests have been under 200.
Scoring big totals, which is a hallmark of Test cricket, is nearly non-existent as only four times have teams been bowled out after scoring 400+.