Publications
Partners
Cape Town - South Africa all-rounder JP Duminy says adapting to the change of light will be a key focus for the batsmen in the first pink ball two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at the Adelaide Oval.
The Proteas have had three training sessions under lights since their arrival in Adelaide on Monday, and will be able to put their preparation on trial over the next two days.
Duminy said: "We have had one twilight session so far, which is very different. It’s definitely something that we still need to get used to.
Tonight’s training session is a step in the right direction of adapting to those conditions and taking it as it comes. We have two training matches so we will have to adapt quickly leading up to the Test.
"These are our first few training sessions with the pink ball so it is fairly new to us.
"With conditions changing when the sunlight goes down its about adapting to that and understanding how we want to play when we face those conditions.
"It’s all about a feel out of how we are going to go about it."
Duminy has described the Proteas’ preparation schedule as the ‘best’ he has experienced compared to past tours, and expects the squad to be thoroughly prepared when they take guard in Perth in two weeks.
Results against the young Cricket Australia XI selected are insignificant, with players focusing on time on the legs and building confidence against the pink ball.
"Personally, I see it more of a hit-out," he said of the warm-up match. "It doesn't matter who the opposition is, for us it’s about adapting to the conditions and finding confidence in that.
"You could be playing against the best opposition in a warm-up match, score a hundred but still not score in the Test match. I'm not reading too much into who we are playing against but it’s more about adapting."
