Long time between Tests but Australia ready for pink ball

A relaxed Pat Cummins will pick up a pink ball for the first time in two years tonight, less than 48 hours out from Thursday’s second NRMA Insurance Test against West Indies.

Cummins, who has 23 wickets at 12.78 in four red-ball Tests this summer, is nonchalant about the change in ball for the day-night fixture at the Gabba, an attitude notably at odds with years gone by where the quality of the pink pill – and its propensity to soften faster than its red counterpart – regularly raised eyebrows among Australia’s fast-bowling fraternity.

Nowadays, the skipper explained, the change is one they are accustomed to, and more a concern for batters than bowlers.

“For bowling I find it is (a simple switch),” the 30-year-old said. “You don’t change too much. Just feels a little bit different in your hand. But I know the batters like that extra session or two to get used to just seeing the different coloured ball out of the bowler’s hand.”

Perhaps any anxiousness has been eased by results. Australia have won 11 from 11 day-night Tests, all at home, while their leading four bowlers also happen to lead the way in terms of wickets taken with the pink ball, with Mitchell Starc, who has played in each of those Tests, setting the pace with 61 at 18.16.

Cummins has played five fewer matches than Starc but his six (which have garnered him 33 wickets at 15.42) also speak to the comfort the Australian bowlers now feel with pink ball in hand, and highlight the gulf of experience with the West Indians, whose attack has played just four day-night Tests between them (Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach two each, taking five wickets apiece).

“No doubt playing a pink-ball Test pretty much every year, and some Shield cricket over the years with the pink ball, helps us familiarise ourselves with the pink ball perhaps a little better than oppositions can, just by experience,” Cummins said.

“But I haven’t played in a pink-ball (Test) for a little while now – I played one (most recently) in Hobart two years ago.”

Australia also boast considerably more experience at Thursday’s venue. While 35-year-old Roach, quite remarkably, played in West Indies’ most recent Test at the Gabba back in November 2009, Alzarri Joseph is the only other current West Indian to have appeared at the ground in another format, playing a T20I in October 2022.

“I have some fond memories here at the Gabba,” said Roach, who also played for the Brisbane Heat in their title-winning season of 2012-13. “It’s good to be back. I saw my picture on the wall, so good memories of mine.

“It’s a fantastic place to play cricket. The atmosphere is always good. It’s bowler friendly. So hopefully we can get out there as a bowling group and put some more pressure on the Australians.

“It’s been a while (2018 in Barbados) since I played pink-ball, but cricket is cricket – put the ball in the right areas and hopefully you get the reward.”

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The hosts had an optional training session at the Gabba on Monday before their main pre-match hit-out this evening under lights. Cummins’ side is chasing a fifth straight Test win and a first perfect home summer since 2019-20, while they have not had an unchanged bowling attack go through an unbeaten home summer since their 2013-14 Ashes whitewash.

“It’s been a bit of a ‘wait and see how we get through these Test matches’ for all our bowlers,” Cummins said. “We’re probably in better shape than we thought we were going to be a month or so ago … sometimes you just feel sorer than you think you should, and other days you wake up good.

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“I think some of it (staying fit) is luck … but I think a lot of it’s down to shorter Test matches and probably scheduling as well; there’s been a week break in between a couple of the Test matches which is a bit of a reset for us bowlers.

“So I don’t feel like we’ve been red-lining it. We’ll see what this week brings but we feel in good shape.”

NRMA Insurance Test series v West Indies

First Test: Australia won by 10 wickets

Second Test: January 25-29, Gabba (3pm AEDT)

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

West Indies Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

Men’s Dettol ODI Series v West Indies

February 2: MCG, 2.30pm AEDT

February 4: SCG, 2.30pm AEDT

February 6: Manuka Oval, Canberra 2.30pm AEDT

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), Travis Head (vc), Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Adam Zampa

West Indies ODI squad: Shai Hope (c), Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Men’s Dettol T20I Series v West Indies

February 9: Blundstone Arena, Hobart 7.00pm AEDT

February 11: Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

February 13: Perth Stadium, 7pm AEDT

West Indies T20I squad: Rovman Powell (c), Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas