How the challenge of batting in Oz changed

KOOKABURRA RELEASED A REDESIGNED BALL FOR TESTS IN 2021 THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE GAME MORE EXCITING, BUT IT HAS ONLY MADE BATTING MORE DIFFICULT

- Ashish Magotra

BRISBANE: It's almost as if they can't stop themselves. The need to be fearless or play their natural game has been embedded deep in the psyche of the modern-day cricketer. 'Go out and express yourself,' they say. But what does that really mean and will that help India save the Brisbane Test?

The eternal truth of cricket is that you have to play to the conditions. You will have the odd performance where the pitch and everything else is taken out of the equation, but on the whole, a tough challenge requires an appropriately gritty response, and that is something India seems to be forgetting.

The consensus in India is that the wickets in Australia are generally true and once you get used to the bounce, there are runs on offer. But since December 2021, things have changed and much of that is down to the new Kookaburra ball.

In 2021, Kookaburra released a redesigned ball for Test cricket that was supposed to make the game more exciting, but it has only made batting more difficult. A plastic lining was added under the seam to make it stand up and stay harder for longer. An extra layer of lacquer was applied to the ball to harden it, and even though the new ball had the same weight, shape and seam as the previous Kookaburra Turf ball, the game changed.