"There has been a lot of discussion over the past week about day-night Tests, how to approach them and whether they produce quality cricket. Stuart Broad described them as a lottery but Australia's outstanding record would suggest that actually the best team normally prevails, and skill should win the day. The question for England is whether they have it in them to dominate in relatively unfamiliar conditions, to win key battles at key moments and to take control."
"You need what I call your match-head on, and that only comes from playing matches. I'm firmly of the view that you can have all the nets sessions you want, but it's not the same when you play a loose drive in the nets there is no consequence, a lack of precision goes unpunished. In a match you have to walk off."
"Steve Smith has been experimenting with eye blacks in training, trying to reduce the glare of the floodlights. His record in pink-ball Tests is massively worse than in standard games: in red-ball matches in Australia he averages 65.72 with a century every 4.7 innings, but in day-night games at home his average is 38.10, with one century in 22 innings, and he clearly still feels uncomfortable and is"
Day-night Tests raise tactical and quality questions, with Australia’s record indicating the stronger team often prevails and skill determining outcomes. England faces unfamiliar pink-ball conditions and must win key battles to take control. Match practice develops the 'match-head' mindset that nets cannot replicate because loose shots in nets carry no consequences. Limited recent first-class play leaves England underprepared, yet continuity and experience in the side provide belief in a possible comeback, reinforced by the first half of the Perth match. Steve Smith has tried eye-black to cut floodlight glare, and his domestic pink-ball record is markedly worse than his red-ball form.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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