If the Pink ball gets wet, just change it, says Dean Jones on 'Dew Factor'
Former Australian batsman Dean Jones tried to simplify all the talks about the dew factor at the Eden Gardens by saying that if the pink-ball gets wet, one must simply change it. India will play their first-ever pink-ball Test and dew could be a huge factor as it will be difficult to grip the ball.
There has been a lot of talks around the first pink-ball Test in the history of Indian Cricket and dew factor has been one of the major topics that are spoken about. Since the Test will be staring in late November, there will surely be dew which will become a huge factor towards the end of the day's play. Many former cricketers and analysts are giving solutions to this problem, like leaving more grass on the wicket, making more grassy outfields, etc. Former Australian batsman Dean Jones gives a simple piece of advice to just change the ball if it becomes too wet for the bowlers to grip.
"It (the Day/Night Test) is a great initiative. The dew factor is a concern, there is no doubt about that. If the ball is wet, just change it," Jones told the TOI.
Cricket has evolved as a sport over the years and the laws have kept on being amended and changed. Jones believes that there is no harm in changing the law if it is improving the playing conditions. With D/N test being a new revolution in Test cricket, Jones believes that if some rules need to be changed if required.
"The laws of the game have changed. For example in (Sir Don) Bradman's time, if the team made 200 runs, they got a second new ball. We are playing a night game, if the ball gets wet, just change the ball, it is as simple as that as far as I am concerned," said Jones.
From the marketing point of view, pink-ball cricket has been introduced because generally, Test matches with the red ball happen at a time when people are working. But with the introduction of day/night cricket, more crowds can be attracted to the stadiums and those who cannot access the stadiums can sit back at home and enjoy the Test on their televisions. Jones has highlighted this point saying that pink-ball matches have become a huge success in Australia. 5 of the 11 pink-ball matches that have been played so far have been played on Australian soil.
"The ratings in Australia are massive and I cannot tell you how big it is compared to all the Test matches. People just find it very hard to watch Test cricket during the day because they are too busy," he said.
Jones can himself comment on adapting to change of ball because he himself has played a few matches with the yellow ball in the past. Although the pink ball will swing a lot more than the yellow ball did, he believes that players have to make a minor adjustment on the mental side of things and the rest of the game remains the same. The key is to stick to the basics and keep the game as simple as possible.
"But the pink ball does move around and there is no doubt about that. It is just a matter of just getting used to it (the pink ball), adapting and moving on. That is what you should do in Test cricket," he concluded.
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