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On The Road: How the pink ball is made
South Africa have identified the first and last hours as the time when the pink ball is at its most dangerous but have concluded that it is not the hand grenade it was hyped up to be in the lead up to the day-night Test.
Kyle Abbott was South Africa’s most successful bowler, picking up 3 for 38 from 25 overs, but the only wicket to fall between the 23rd and 87th overs was the run-out of Steven Smith, as Australia claimed a potentially handy first-innings lead.
“We did expect it to do a lot more,” Abbott said. “There’s periods of the game where it does a bit. If it’s new, early in the morning it did a bit then it kind of went quiet after tea, [that] seemed like the best time to bat and then when the light dipped [it got harder again]. I don’t think it has lived up to its hype and expectation.”
Abbott explained that Faf du Plessis’ day one declaration was an attempt to give South Africa “two bites at that new ball, in the two periods where we feel the ball will do the most and that was late last night and early this afternoon”. Usman Khawaja was the main block on their progress, so far carrying his bat through three-and-a-half sessions, but South Africa hoped to take advantage of any assistance on the third afternoon to wrap up the innings.
“Tomorrow is going to be key,” Abbott said. “If we can pick up the four wickets and not have a deficit of anything 100 and above, we would be pretty confident in knocking off and posting a score after that.
“The first 15 to 20 overs are going to really testing and I think majority of the wickets have fallen in that period. When it’s our turn to bat again, we are going to identify that. It seems to be getting better but as pitches naturally do, it’s going to deteriorate.”
On a personal note, this was the first time Abbott had played two consecutive Tests and hoped this could be the start of a run in the side for him, having replaced the injured Dale Steyn.
“The key for me this game coming on the back of Hobart was not to go searching. And not think that because I am taking wickets, I need to take another nine. That’s not the case. I don’t look too far ahead. Hopefully it could be the start of an extended run. It’s not in my hands – actually it is – I can only bowl well I suppose.”
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo