With the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicking off with a Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Cricket Ground, several former cricketers feel the pink ball Test could set the tone for the series. The likes of Anil Kumble and Michael Vaughan feel if India are caught napping in the first Test itself, it may be tough for them to come back. And rightly so, given Australia’s formidable record in Day-Night Tests.

For the record, India have played just one pink ball Test so far – against Bangladesh in November of last year at the Eden Gardens – while Australia are undefeated in Day/Night Test matches having won all seven Tests. While the challenge at hand promises to be stiff for India, former spinner Pragyan Ojha feels there is one player who could emerge as the ‘game changer’ with the pink ball in the Adelaide Test.

“India will miss Ravindra Jadeja’s services due to the concussion injury. Thankfully, India have someone like R Ashwin who has been doing well. In the practice games, he picked up those wickets, bowled tight lines," Ojha told Sports Today.

“There is one more person who can be a game-changer for India with the pink-ball is Kuldeep Yadav because in the domestic pink-ball tournaments, he was successful. Batsmen were finding it difficult to pick him. Especially during the twilight period, batsmen were struggling to read him. That’s when he picked up maximum wickets."

Kuldeep doesn’t have much form heading into the Test series. He played just a handful of matches for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL before playing the third ODI against Australia earlier this month, where he picked up 1/57. However, the last time Kuldeep went to Australia to play Tests, he bagged a five-wicket haul at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Moreover, with the lights dipping towards the end of the day, Ojha reckons Australia can have a hard time reading the wrist spinner.

“If Kuldeep Yadav is playing, he will be difficult for the Aussies. If you see this year, there has not been much cricket due to the obvious reasons. The pandemic brought normal lives to a complete halt. Kuldeep couldn’t play consistently in the IPL. His match practice has not been great. It’s important for the think tank to take care of Kuldeep," he said.

“Kuldeep Yadav can be India’s X-factor. He is a chinaman bowler with a lot of good variation. In Australia, historically, wrist-spinners have done better than finger spinners."

 (With inputs from agencies)