Sabina Park Hosts First Pink-Ball Test: Starc Eyes 400

The Test series between West Indies and Australia has largely been ruled by bowlers, and that trend may well continue as Sabina Park prepares to stage its inaugural day-night Test.

This will be only the second time a pink-ball Test is played in the Caribbean, the first being in Barbados back in 2018 against Sri Lankaβ€”a match remembered for low scores and an early finish, only stretching to day four because of rain delays.

Australia will play their first-ever day-night Test abroad, using the Dukes ball, with both teams getting a single practice session under lights. Australia has featured in 13 pink-ball Tests at home, losing only onceβ€”to West Indies at the Gabba in 2024.

Starc Eyes Milestone in Milestone Match

Mitchell Starc, who will feature in his 100th Test, highlighted the unpredictability of the conditions under lights with the pink Dukes ball.

β€œπ‘»π’‰π’†π’“π’† π’Žπ’Šπ’ˆπ’‰π’• 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 π’‡π’†π’˜ π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆπ’” π’ˆπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒕 π’π’Šπ’ˆπ’‰π’• π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’Šπ’π’Œ π‘«π’–π’Œπ’†π’”,” 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒄 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 π’ƒπ’‚π’•π’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’…π’–π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’•π’“π’‚π’Šπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ. β€œπ‘°π’•β€™π’” 𝒂 π’π’†π’˜ 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 π’ˆπ’“π’π’–π’‘.”

Australia’s top order reported plenty of β€œswing and nip” during practice, with the ball retaining hardness longer than expected. Throughout this series, the red Dukes balls have frequently lost shape, prompting multiple replacements.

Starc, renowned as the most successful pink-ball bowler globally with 74 wickets at an average of 18.14, is only five dismissals away from reaching the 400-wicket milestone.

β€œπ‘° 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’Œ π’Šπ’•β€™π’” π’‘π’π’†π’•π’Šπ’„, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 π’Šπ’•β€™π’” π’’π’–π’Šπ’•π’† π’‡π’–π’π’π’š 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 π‘°β€™π’Ž π’‘π’π’‚π’šπ’Šπ’π’ˆ [π’Žπ’š] 100𝒕𝒉 π’Šπ’ 𝒂 π’‘π’Šπ’π’Œ-𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 π’ˆπ’‚π’Žπ’†,” 𝒉𝒆 π’‚π’…π’Žπ’Šπ’•π’•π’†π’….

Even Contest Expected Despite Past Challenges

The pitch in Jamaica appeared the most balanced of the series so far, after surfaces in Barbados and Grenada produced significant seam and uneven bounce.

β€œπ‘°π’• π’π’π’π’Œπ’” π’π’Šπ’Œπ’† π’Šπ’•β€™π’” π’‘π’“π’π’ƒπ’‚π’ƒπ’π’š 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’Žπ’π’”π’• 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 π’„π’π’—π’†π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒐𝒇 π’ˆπ’“π’‚π’”π’” π’˜π’†β€™π’—π’† 𝒉𝒂𝒅,” 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒄 π’”π’‚π’Šπ’…. β€œπ‘°π’•β€™π’” 𝒂 π’ƒπ’Šπ’• 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 π’π’π’•π’•π’†π’“π’š 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 π’˜π’‰π’‚π’• 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’˜π’Šπ’„π’Œπ’†π’•π’” 𝒅𝒐, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒕 π’‡π’Šπ’“π’”π’• π’π’π’π’Œ π’Šπ’• π’π’π’π’Œπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆.”

West Indies batter Brandon King, who hails from Jamaica, shared his excitement about the occasion:

β€œπ‘°π’•β€™π’” 𝒂 π’„π’‰π’‚π’π’π’†π’π’ˆπ’†, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒏 π’†π’™π’„π’Šπ’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’„π’‰π’‚π’π’π’†π’π’ˆπ’†. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 π’”π’π’Žπ’†π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆ π‘°β€™π’Ž π’π’π’π’Œπ’Šπ’π’ˆ π’‡π’π’“π’˜π’‚π’“π’… 𝒕𝒐.”

He added, β€œSabina Park is usually a decent wicket. It’s usually a balanced wicket, something for the bowlers, something for the batters. And that’s what you want.”

The venue recently installed new floodlights, completed only just before the match deadline. Though the lights sit lower than at many international grounds, they meet brightness requirements. Players noted a few dimmer spots near the boundary but overall found the lighting adequate.

West Indies have played five day-night Tests before this, recording only one victoryβ€”their famous win over Australia last year. With most of that team no longer in the squad, the hosts will look to defy the odds again.

The highest individual score in this series so far remains Brandon King’s 75, highlighting just how challenging batting has been.

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