Pink ball comes on to the bat nicely: Mukund

India Red registered their first victory over India Green on Friday (August 26) in the Duleep Trophy largely due to the efforts of Abhinav Mukund. The Tamil Nadu opener returned to form, contributing with 246 runs, which included a century in the second innings. The runs, scored against the pink ball, which had most batsmen struggling, are all the more important.

While most players struggled to negotiate the seam movement in the first innings, Abhinav looked comfortable for his 77. The 26-year-old said the pink ball is a mix of the white and red ball. "The pink ball doesn't go old and it comes on to the bat nicely," he told TOI from Greater Noida.

"There is seam movement and a bit swing when the ball is new. But when the seam wears off, batting becomes easier. I would say it is a mix of white and red ball. It has the shine of a white ball and the hardness of a red Kookaburra ball. Since the wicket was a bit damp on the first day, 17 wickets fell."

While the pink ball was a new experience for the players, so was playing under lights. Abhinav said he didn't have any problem in sighting the pink ball. "To be honest, when I was practising at the nets before the match, I did have some issues in seeing the ball. However, during the match, I didn't face any problems as the pink colour really stood out. I was timing the ball and getting into good positions."