Memories of a pink ball Test in Adelaide may certainly bring back some nightmares for Rohit Sharma & Co., but the 1–0 cushion they are carrying from Perth should calm their nerves ahead of the second Test, starting Friday (6 December).

However, there is no denying that it’s a different ballgame — literally and figuratively — as Indian players don’t often play this format under lights.

The ‘Summer of 36,’ as India’s capitulation in the second innings of the first Test of 2020–21 tour came to be known, famously became a launchpad for the visitors to bounce back from in the series, eventually winning it 2–1.

However, India has been a late starter in the day–night Tests ever since they were first greenlighted by the ICC — having played only four of them, starting with the one against Bangladesh in 2019, while Australia has played 12 since 2015.

There is very little to choose from between the two sides’ records in the day–nighters: India have won 3 out of 4, while the Aussies have won 11 out of 12 matches. However, three of India’s wins in pink ball Tests were at home, against a below-par Bangladesh, England and then Sri Lanka in 2022, respectively.

The match against a Joe Root-led England was one of the shortest in Test history, ending in just two days in Ahmedabad. Axar Patel spun his way into the spotlight, claiming 11 wickets (6/38 and 5/32), while Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 7 wickets on a dust bowl and contributed a crucial half-century.

The critical question, hence, is whether India is equipped to tackle the vagaries of the pink ball — which has more shine due to additional lacquer on it and a pronounced seam, making the new ball swing for a longer period than the red ball or white ball.

The general perception is that if the new red ball zips around for the first one hour or so, the pink ball can do so for an entire session and hence can be quite a challenge for top order batters.

The pink ball also becomes difficult to pick out during the twilight hours. It’s not a surprise, therefore, that low-scoring matches are often the norm in the day–night games.

When India played their first-ever pink ball Test at the Eden Gardens in November, 2019, then-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly converted it into a festive occasion and promised to have at least one home Test under the lights to make the traditional format more spectator-friendly. However, the last of them on Indian soil was against Sri Lanka in 2022 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru — which leaves the Indians short on quality match practice before this prestigious contest.

Speaking of combatting the pink ball, Sachin Tendulkar once insisted that since 90 per cent of Tests played are day affairs, practice is the only way out.

Asked about the problems for the batters, the maestro said in an interview in 2020 that picking up the seam position of the bowler often becomes difficult to pick during the twilight hour. “I have heard from some of the cricketers who have played with the pink ball that at twilight, they find it difficult to sight the ball. I look at it slightly differently; it’s about picking the seam. Seeing the seam in that light becomes difficult sometimes.”

It will, hence, be a fresh challenge as Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland (replacing Josh Hazlewood) can pose quite a few questions.

The two-day warm-up game against the Australia Prime Minister’s XI saw the return of captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill on the India side, with the latter player having missed the first Test due to a finger injury. Gill, who will mostly likely take up his usual No.3 position, looked in good nick in the practice game with a 50, while No.4 Sharma nicked one to the clips for 3.

More than the runs, Sharma missed out on what could have been valuable game time for him and the biggest conundrum for the team management will be to whether to hand him back the opener’s spot alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal or slot him lower at No.5 or No.6.

Known to be a team player to the core, Rohit had dropped himself down in the team sheet for the tour game and allowed K.L. Rahul and Jaiswal to have a shot at the top of the order. This could well be a sneak preview of the things to come.