Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Joe Burns ready for pink-ball battle

Australia opener Joe Burns says the pink ball swings more and can be hard to see, but there will be no excuses for his side in the inaugural day-night Test.

Australia will have to adjust their approach in the inaugural day-night Test, with Joe Burns saying it'd be foolish to treat the pink ball like it was red.

The pink pill continues to earn mixed reviews, while there is much conjecture about how it will behave in the Adelaide Oval clash that starts on Friday.

Batting at dusk and facing the second new ball under lights have been commonly cited as the most difficult of the new challenges presented by the pink ball.

Burns has formed an impressive opening combination with David Warner in the first two Tests against New Zealand.

But the Queenslander knows from his experience in the day-night Sheffield Shield rounds that they'll have to change things up this week.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"I've played a few games now and it's different to a red ball," Burns said on Sunday.

"You have to accept it's not going to play the same way as your red ball.

"You can't kid yourself and go into it thinking that you can play the same way or prepare the same way."

The pink ball has been used around the country, deteriorating at vastly different rates.

Burns seemed genuinely unsure what to expect, having yet to use it in Adelaide.

"I know under lights in Brisbane and Perth it was very difficult. It seemed to swing a lot more and was a lot harder to see," he said.

"At the MCG it seemed like it was fairly consistent all the way through.

"In Canberra it seemed like visibility-wise it was better at night, but just swung a little bit more."

Despite conjecture about the quality of the ball and many players being unhappy with the fixture, Burns noted it was time to get on with things.

"There are differences in the way the ball reacts and at times visibility of the ball," he said.

"But you have to have an open mind as a player and just accept there will be challenges.

"When you're out in the middle you can't look for excuses with the ball. You get on and play the game.

"I'm sure we'll discuss it this week. Luckily the NSW boys played here a few weeks ago in a pink-ball game."

Warner, Steve Smith, Peter Nevill, Steve O'Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all played in that Shield clash at Adelaide Oval.

Australia's 13-man squad arrived in Adelaide on Sunday.

They have Monday off before attempting to work out the pink-ball posers in the nets.

"We're training later in the afternoon and towards the night time just to get our bodies accustomed to it," Burns said.

"It's quite nice. You get the good sleep in."

Meanwhile, Sam Whiteman scored 117 against NZ at the WACA on the weekend but his pink-ball appraisal was less than flattering.

"The ball deteriorates pretty quickly. Towards the end it was almost not really pink - and the square is in pretty good nick," Whiteman said.

"It got quite dark and hard to pick up.

"The boys were saying it was quite tough out there to start under lights, but when you're set it's pretty good to bat."


3 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world