Faf Du Plessis, Vernon Philander want more pink-ball Tests

The Proteas are keen to play more day-night Tests after losing their first Pink ball Test against Australia at Adelaide on Sunday. Stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis and Vernon Philander said they would want to see the ball being used at home though South Africa might face some serious challenges in introducing it.

With the rise in the cost of electricity, the South African ground are reluctant to turn on the lights at the best of times but the advantages of investing in the format were evident during the Adelaide Test. Du Plessis’ unexpected declaration was the first example. He wanted the hosts to bat under lights for 45 minutes to extract some extra movement. Though the gamble didn’t pay off, South Africa realised that batting during the twilight was when the pink ball is the most dangerous. The ball was not only seaming but also turning sharply.

Du Plessis wasn’t too pleased with Tabraiz Shamsi’s performance in the first innings but praised him for coming back strongly in the 2nd essay.

In the first innings Shamsi may not have bowled as well as he wanted,” du Plessis said. “But then in the second innings, in a different situation, he bowled really well. He stepped up to the challenge of being better.”

Vernon Philander who relies on his accuracy, subtlety said the pink ball did too much at times and it wasn’t quite suited for his style of bowling. Though he couldn’t utilise the pink ball to perfection, he stated that the South African bowling line-up was a diverse enough attack for someone else to do.

“Our attack now covers all bases and the guys have stepped up really well,” Philander said. “With myself and Kyle Abbott upfront, we have seam and swing and then we have KG [Rabada] with a bit of pace. It’s wonderful to have all those varieties available to you but then it’s also up to the captain to see how to use it.”