For a while now, India has been avoiding to play day and night test cricket which is scheduled to happen later this year. The decision has invited criticism from many players including the likes of Mark Waugh and Ian Chappell. However, Harbhajan Singh wants India to leave behind all the apprehensions related to day and night test cricket.
As an event attended by him, Harbhajan Singh said, “I don't know why they don't want to play day-night Test matches. It's an interesting format and we should try it. I am all for it. Tell me what's the apprehension of playing with pink ball? If you play, you can adjust. It may not be as difficult as it seems.”
He was further told that the Indian batsmen could get troubled, the off-spinner said, “So what if you get out? We have fast bowlers to trouble them. And what makes us think our batsmen can't take up the challenge of facing Aussie pacers. It's a challenge and what's the harm in taking up the challenge. When we were new to Test cricket, we had only learnt how to bowl with SG Test and then slowly learnt to bowl with kookaburra and dukes," he said.
He urged India to take up day and night test as a challenge. "Don't you accept the challenge of playing England in overcast conditions in their country. Isn't that a challenge? If we could take up that challenge why not pink ball cricket? "Life is a learning process and there is no harm if we could adapt to a new format."
According to Harbhajan Singh, the format should have been introduced much earlier. In fact, he even recommended that India to host day and night test matches. but then he was reminded of the dew fact to which Bhajji had a solution, “Then don't play pink ball Test in October-November if you feel dew is a factor. Play at some other time when the dew factor can be negated but try out a new thing."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 18, 2018 09:46 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).