He also played down the twilight issue and said that at Eden Gardens, this phase lasts for just 15 minutes and hence, should not influence the game as much.
As per Mukherjee, the SG pink ball doesn’t seem to have as much shine as the Kookaburra that was used at the same ground during the much-talked about CAB Super League final which saw Mohammed Shami break the backbone of the opposition batting with his spell with the pink cherry.
“I am seeing the SG pink for the first time, but going by what I saw at the nets, the shine seems a little less than the Kookaburra used during the club game. Swing shouldn’t be that big an issue. Yes, obviously the match conditions will be different from the nets and we will have to wait and watch,” he told IANS.
He also played down the twilight issue and said that at Eden Gardens, this phase lasts for just 15 minutes and hence, should not influence the game as much.
“The sun dips here very quickly and that twilight phase is of just 15 minutes to be honest. It shouldn’t be an issue if you ask me,” Mukherkee added.
While skipper Virat Kohli did spend a long time batting against Shami in the twilight phase on Wednesday, the captain said fielding could also be an issue with the pink ball.
“The fielding session with the pink ball was biggest challenge. People will be surprised how difficult fielding can be with the pink ball. The ball definitely felt heavier. I’m sure there won’t be any difference in weight but somehow it felt heavier. While taking slip catches the ball really hit the hands hard. Even while throwing from the boundary, the fielders felt they needed to put extra effort,” Kohli had pointed on the eve of the game.
Prasanta Patnaik