5 memorable moments from Pink Ball Test cricket

When the idea of Day-Night Tests came to the fore, speculation and opinion soared in from every nook and corner of the world regarding its viability. While positive views and appreciation flowed in about the experimentation, negative opinions also came in pertaining to tampering with the traditional format of the sport.

Nevertheless, Pink-ball Test cricket passed the test of times with players adjusting pretty efficiently to white-clothing international cricket under the lights. From November 2015 till date, there has only been three Day-Night games, but there hasn’t been any dearth of excitement surrounding these games.

The fourth game has already begun at Edgbaston between England and the West Indies. As we head towards Birmingham, we take you down memory lane through the best moments of the newest version of Test cricket.

#5 A thriller to inaugurate Pink-ball Tests

Being the first ever Day-Night Test, the game required proper advertisement in order to gain popularity. The game between the Trans-Tasman rivals in Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide turned out to be a cliffhanger of an encounter.

It was a low-scoring game and both teams fought tooth and nail to get the better of each other. New Zealand were dismissed cheaply for 202 in their first innings. However, Brendon McCullum and co. clawed their way into the game by dismissing the Aussies cheaply for 224 runs.

However, the Kiwis let go another chance and stumbled to a total of 208 courtesy Josh Hazlewood’s six-wicket haul. With 187 runs for Australia to chase down, the Kiwis fought their heart out, but eventually lost the game by three wickets.

#4 Azhar Ali’s triple ton

Azhar Ali after his triple century

The second ever Day-Night Test was staged at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 2016 when the Caribbean team clashed with Pakistan in a Test series. Both of Pakistan and West Indies were playing their maiden Test match under the lights.

The game started with Pakistan racking up a mammoth total of 579/3. However, the innings belonged to Azhar Ali as he went on to become the first centurion in Day-Night Tests. He carried forward his knock and scored his maiden triple hundred in Test cricket.

West Indies lacked bite in their bowling as Azhar milked them throughout with sheer ease during his 469-ball knock. As soon as he reached the milestone, Misbah-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan skipper/batsman decided to declare.

#3 Devendra Bishoo’s jaw-dropping spell

Devendra Bishoo (centre) ripped apart the Pakistan batting lineup

During the same Test match, another player shone brightly, this time for the West Indies. Jason Holder’s men were in all sorts of trouble after getting dismissed for a low score and were looking down the barrel for yet another drubbing in Test cricket.

Nevertheless, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo’s repertoire with the ball brought West Indies into contention for a stupendous victory. His exemplary spell of 13.5-1-49-8, broke the backbone of the Pakistan batting-line up. From 3/77, the sub-continent team slumped to 123 balls in a space of 87 balls.

The leggie was unplayable as he dished out wickets at a hemorrhaging rate to stop the Pakistan batsman. Nonetheless, despite the awe-inspiring spell, West Indies lost the game by 56 runs.

#2 Martin Guptill’s dismissal

Josh Hazlewood successfully appealing for Martin Guptill's dismissal

The Trans-Tasman clashes between Australia and New Zealand have always been a treat to follow irrespective of the format. This time round, their contest had a different dimension added to it when they paved their way into history.

Adelaide Oval was the host of the inaugural Day-Night Test in November 2015. New Zealand, after winning the toss on a Friday afternoon, got off to a jittery start. The Kiwis suffered an early jolt with the wicket of Martin Guptill.

During the fourth over of the innings, Josh Hazlewood got the ball to jag back into the Kiwi opener, which caught him plumb in front of the stumps. Meanwhile, Hazlewood and Guptill entered into the record books in the first wicket ever in Day-Night Test cricket.

#1 Stephen Cook and Faf du Plessis’s unsuccessful, yet valiant effort

Stephen Cook's valiant effort goes in vain

Australia were playing their second Day-Night Test at Adelaide in November last year. However, South Africa was playing their first ever Pink-ball Test. The inexperience of the Proteas cricketers showed as they stumbled to a defeat.

After conceding a lead of 124 runs, South Africa found themselves in a precarious position. Nevertheless, the Proteas never recovered from there on and went on lose their debut Day-Night test. However, Stephen Cook and Francois du Plessis dished out tons for the Proteas.

While du Plessis notched up a score of 118 runs in 164 balls in the first innings, Cook compiled together a gutsy knock of 104 runs in 240 balls. Despite the stupendous efforts, South Africa couldn’t evade the hefty defeat.