<p>Indian skipper Virat Kohli welcomed newly-elected BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s bold decision to conduct a Day-Night Test against Bangladesh but felt playing with the untested SG pink ball would a major challenge in itself.“It’s quite exciting. I think it’s a new way to bring excitement to Test cricket. We are all very excited about that,” said Kohli at the pre-match press conference here on Wednesday. “The pink ball I played yesterday, I felt it swings a lot more as compared to the red ball because there’s extra lacquer on the ball which doesn’t go away too fast and the seam holds upright quite a bit. I think if the pitch has extra help for the bowlers, then the bowlers will be in the game, especially fast bowlers throughout the course of the Test match. I don’t quite know how the old ball behaves because with the dew and the lacquer going off, it will be interesting to see how much the old ball does. With the pink ball with the pitch having enough, the life in it will be very important factor.”While much of the buzz is about the pink-ball Test next week in Kolkata, Kohli stressed the team’s main goal is beating Bangladesh in the first game that kicks off on Thursday. “In Test cricket I don’t think you can afford to take focus away at all, not even one session, not even one over. With the red ball you need to be absolutely precise in your focus, every game that you play, every ball that you play, every situation that you are in.“Our prime focus is tomorrow’s Test match. When the pink ball Test match arrives, as I said we will be quite excited about it. There’s always excitement in the air before any Test match begins especially when you go for the toss in the morning. I think that’s a different kind of feeling we all have. We are looking forward to that first and then we will focus on the pink ball later.”On Tuesday, Kohli and the rest of his batting colleagues, while taking throw-downs, alternated between the red and pink ball. When quizzed about the idea behind such a move, Kohli said it’s to train their minds better for the uncertainty pink ball brings. “You require extra concentration to pick the pink ball when you're playing (mostly) with the red ball. I think it was to work on the reflexes a little bit as well because when you play with the red ball in the nets and you arrive at the pink ball, it gets very difficult to pick it up, which can be the case in the game as well. It sort of gives you the match scenario and how it might be difficult to pick it early on. To get into that zone was the reason behind it.”</p>
<p>Indian skipper Virat Kohli welcomed newly-elected BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s bold decision to conduct a Day-Night Test against Bangladesh but felt playing with the untested SG pink ball would a major challenge in itself.“It’s quite exciting. I think it’s a new way to bring excitement to Test cricket. We are all very excited about that,” said Kohli at the pre-match press conference here on Wednesday. “The pink ball I played yesterday, I felt it swings a lot more as compared to the red ball because there’s extra lacquer on the ball which doesn’t go away too fast and the seam holds upright quite a bit. I think if the pitch has extra help for the bowlers, then the bowlers will be in the game, especially fast bowlers throughout the course of the Test match. I don’t quite know how the old ball behaves because with the dew and the lacquer going off, it will be interesting to see how much the old ball does. With the pink ball with the pitch having enough, the life in it will be very important factor.”While much of the buzz is about the pink-ball Test next week in Kolkata, Kohli stressed the team’s main goal is beating Bangladesh in the first game that kicks off on Thursday. “In Test cricket I don’t think you can afford to take focus away at all, not even one session, not even one over. With the red ball you need to be absolutely precise in your focus, every game that you play, every ball that you play, every situation that you are in.“Our prime focus is tomorrow’s Test match. When the pink ball Test match arrives, as I said we will be quite excited about it. There’s always excitement in the air before any Test match begins especially when you go for the toss in the morning. I think that’s a different kind of feeling we all have. We are looking forward to that first and then we will focus on the pink ball later.”On Tuesday, Kohli and the rest of his batting colleagues, while taking throw-downs, alternated between the red and pink ball. When quizzed about the idea behind such a move, Kohli said it’s to train their minds better for the uncertainty pink ball brings. “You require extra concentration to pick the pink ball when you're playing (mostly) with the red ball. I think it was to work on the reflexes a little bit as well because when you play with the red ball in the nets and you arrive at the pink ball, it gets very difficult to pick it up, which can be the case in the game as well. It sort of gives you the match scenario and how it might be difficult to pick it early on. To get into that zone was the reason behind it.”</p>
