Why is winning Pink Ball matches in Australia difficult for visiting teams?

India's encounter with the Pink Ball in the second Test match against Australia wasn't good. The visitors lost the game by ten wickets, where they gave a lead of 18 runs to the mighty Aussies. After winning the first game by 295 runs, what went wrong for the Indian team? Apart from this, several questions were raised on the Pink Ball matches hosted by Australia including why other teams aren't able to crack the tactics behind playing with the ball. 

Pink Ball matches were started back in 2015 as an experiment to see how the D/N games work out. The first game was between Australia and New Zealand. However, post that, the Pink Ball matches are only hosted in Australia, especially in Adelaide. Teams like India and England have also played with the ball, but it's 'once in a blue moon.' A total of 23 matches have been played across the globe, out of which 13 were hosted in Australia. 

This has given that the players have ample amount of exposure to the ball. If we look at the statistics, the top five high-scorers in Pink Ball games are the Australian batters. Marnus Labuschagne is the lead with 958 runs in 15 innings at an average of 63.86. In bowling, Mitchell Starc is the standout bowler with 74 wickets in 25 innings. He is a beast with the Pink Ball as he has understood the ball thoroughly, which has kept him way ahead of everyone else in the race. 

Now, Pink Ball and Red Ball are completely different. The extra lacquer in Pink Ball provides extra shine, which helps the ball swing. Pace bowlers like Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc make perfect use of the conditions to terrify the batters throughout the game. Also, Australian players are not accustomed to the Pink Ball, which gives them the upper edge over the other teams. Hence, other teams struggle against Australia with the Pink Ball in Test matches. 

Why hasn't India tackled the Pink Ball strategy?

The question might seem too deep, but the fault lies with the Board. When Jay Shah was BCCI's secretary, he was asked about not hosting Pink Ball games more often in India, to which his reasoning was the economic concerns of the viewers and the ground. Jay Shah said, "You buy a ticket for a five-day match, but the game ends in 2-3 days…There is no refund. I am slightly emotional about this." 

Well, if you look at the current scenarios of Test cricket, most of the games to get over within three days. There are hardly any matches that exceed this time frame, and this is the case with all the teams worldwide. Not having Pink Ball matches is only pushing India backward, and only the Board can solve this issue. The whole year, the players practice with Red Balls, and out of nowhere, they are asked to play and perform with the Pink Ball. 

Even in the 2nd Test match against Australia, India got to practice for eight days with the ball and was expected to beat Australia, mastering the art of playing with the Pink Ball. Beating Australia in their own home ground might be possible, but beating them with the Pink Ball, with minimal practice, is next to impossible. 

This loss also impacted India's WTC qualification scenario. There are two options for the Pink Ball scenario: make it extinct or play more matches. In India's case, the Board will have to host matches in and around the country, which will help the players adapt to the situation well. This will give them the confidence to go out and play against teams like England and Australia.