It will take some more time for the concept of day-night Test matches to gather steam as Cricket Australia's experiments with the pink ball seem to be failing. According to local media reports,the players and officials who were part of the Futures League matches where pink balls were used say the balls deteriorated too quickly. Umpires had also said recently that it was difficult to spot the ball after a point from square leg position. "Officials said the Kookaburra balls had retained their colour well,but had lost condition too quickly to last the 80 overs demanded by Test cricket," a report in The Australian said. "One source said the trial had been worthwhile but more development work was needed before the ball was used in Tests," the report added. South Australian second-XI fast bowler Elliott Opie said the balls' seam deteriorated faster than the traditional red variety. "Everyone seemed to feel it behaved more like a white ball rather than a red ball. It was quite hard. It came off the bat quite hard and seemed to bounce more when it came off the deck. But where it became abrasive it went a sort of a mauve or a purple colour. And it didn't seam or swing as much as a red ball," Opie said.
