India vs Bangladesh 2019 pink-ball Test: Spinners could be important in first two sessions, feels Vettori

Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach Daniel Vettori believes that spin bowling will have a role to play in the maiden pink-ball Test in India, which begins at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 22. However, he did admit that it will mostly happen before the lights come into full effect.

“The first two sessions, spinners could really be important. They (Bangladesh spinners) have enjoyed bowling with the SG pink ball. Both teams played two spinners in the last game and I don’t think they will go too far away from that,” Vettori said while speaking to the media after Bangladesh’s nets on Wednesday.

One of the greatest left-arm spinners of all time, Vettori claimed 362 wickets in 113 Test matches. However, he agrees that Bangladesh’s slow bowlers would have their task cut out at Kolkata considering the quality of the Indian batting line-up.

“It is difficult being an overseas spinner coming here. That is mainly because of the quality of the batsmen. We saw the pressure that Mayank put our spinners under. And Rahane. So it’s a tricky challenge. The wicket was as good as it was in Indore which meant there wasn’t a lot to work with. It is probably going to be the same here as well,” the former spinner went on to add.

Knowing that the fast bowlers will play a big part under lights, Bangladesh are likely to bring back left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman, who was surprisingly left out of the Indore Test. “The relaid wicket here has more bounce. It was watered today and is now covered. So they don’t want to dry it out. The seamers, because of the pink ball and under lights, will play a big part. Our fast bowlers are excited and that doesn’t happen too often,” admitted Vettori.

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In the interaction with the media, Vettori, who has also featured in the Indian Premier League, stressed the early sunset factor as well. “In previous pink-ball Tests, there is an hour, an hour-and-a-half under lights. But here the Sun sets quite early; around 4 or 4:30. I think that will be the time we will see the pink ball come into play."

Speaking about the excitement around the first-ever day-night Test in India, Vettori said that a T20 like atmosphere could be witnessed at Eden Gardens. “Kohli or Rohit walking out to bat will feel like a T20. And if those guys get going, there will be an atmosphere that probably no player has experienced in Test match conditions,” the visitors’ spin bowling coach asserted.

India go into the Kolkata Test 1-0 up having won the Indore match by an innings and 130 runs.