News’Positive move’ – Gambhir throws his weight behind red-ball-pink-ball switch
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has given the ICC’s latest trial – swapping the red ball for a pink one when bad light threatens – an enthusiastic nod.
“I love that because I’ve always believed that if there’s an opportunity to get a result, you should always have that opportunity,” Gambhir said on the eve of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. “Imagine if you are playing the last Test match before the World Test Championship final and you have the chance to win that Test match to qualify, and because of bad light, it’s not happening. So I’m all for it.”
The proposal is straightforward: if fading light makes the traditional cherry hard to see, captains can agree to continue with the more luminous pink ball. Both leaders must sign off. Gambhir feels that safeguard far outweighs any awkwardness for players suddenly handling a different ball under the same match conditions.
“If there’s an opportunity to get the result, if both teams agree to it… I know it could be a little unfair and difficult for the players, but imagine working hard for two years and the last Test match before the World Test Championship final, if you don’t play five days because of bad light, how unfair that could be. So I think it’s a proactive move, it’s a positive move, and, hopefully, the teams will start taking it in a positive way.”
India sit sixth on the current WTC table after the 2-0 home defeat to South Africa, carrying 48.15% of possible points. Despite that, Gambhir was upbeat.
“Till you have the opportunity to qualify for the World Test Championship final,” he said, “you are always optimistic because we know the kind of quality we have and the kind of talent we have. I don’t think there is any reason not to believe that we cannot win the World Test Championship and that is what not only we but everyone sitting in the dressing room believes.
“Yes, we can have one-odd bad series here and there but we know the kind of talent and how much hunger we have in the dressing room.”
Sudharsan gets the nod at No.3
While the Afghanistan Test does not feed into the WTC standings, it serves as a gentle bridge to tours of Sri Lanka (August) and New Zealand (November). With Shubman Gill now settled at No.4 following Virat Kohli’s retirement, the immediate vacancy is at first drop.
“Honestly, Sai hasn’t got a fair chance,” Gambhir explained, referring to left-hander B Sai Sudharsan. “He has only played a handful of Test matches and he started his Test career in England, which we all know is not the easiest place [to bat in]. He has had a phenomenal run in the IPL as well and we have got to give him a fair chance.”
The numbers back both candidates. Sudharsan owns 302 runs from six Tests at 27.45 – not eye-catching but gathered in demanding conditions. Devdutt Padikkal, meanwhile, piled up 543 Ranji runs at 60.33 last winter and is champing at the bit. Gambhir, though, sees no reason to shuffle again after only a handful of innings.
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That unfinished sentence hung in the air, yet the meaning was clear enough – Padikkal’s turn will come, but not ahead of a colleague still waiting for a genuine run of red-ball opportunities.
Technical voices welcome the trial
Former Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate, now part of India’s support staff, suggested any batter will adapt quickly: “A pink ball tends to swing a fraction longer but loses that extra zip after 15-20 overs. If both sides are working with the same conditions, I don’t see anyone complaining.”
Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey is equally relaxed. “Our seamers have trained with both balls this week. The Dukes-style seam on the pink version feels a touch more pronounced, which helpful in the twilight. The key is communication; the umpires, captains and bowlers need a single, agreed-upon moment to change over so no one feels short-changed.”
Practical questions remain – when exactly to switch, how it affects over rates, and the optics of a pink ball against a white sight-screen in daylight – but the Indian camp is willing to experiment. If the trial goes smoothly this week, expect the conversation to gather pace ahead of the Sri Lankan tour, where poor light at Galle is almost a given.
Measured optimism
India’s broader Test ambitions hinge on consistency rather than tinkering alone. A top-order settled around Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sudharsan, followed by Gill and the experienced middle, offers pedigree. The bowling cartel remains sharp; a lean fortnight against South Africa has not erased three years of impressive away returns.
Still, Gambhir’s emphasis is on process, not rhetoric – a stance that fits his playing persona. The pink-ball clause, like the reshuffling at No.3, is presented as common-sense insurance, not grand upheaval.
Whether that calm approach converts to points will be judged soon enough. For now, India have one Test against Afghanistan, the possibility of a pink twilight, and a coach determined to keep every door to the WTC final ajar.
