ENGLAND have been putting in extra practice with the pink ball to ensure they are ready for the Second Ashes Test this weekend.
Joe Root’s side are looking to bounce back from the humiliating ten-wicket defeat they suffered to Australia in the First Test in Melbourne.
And with the match at the Adelaide Oval being the first ever day-night Ashes Test, there is a hope England will be better suited to the conditions than their rivals.
The tourists have been happy just to get back down to business following a turbulent week since they lost in Melbourne.
Wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow has been putting in the work in the nets as he looks to shrug off the row over his head-butt greeting of Aussie star Cameron Bancroft.
And the ECB have also been wrestling with the decision whether to draft suspended Ben Stokes into the squad in time for the Third Test.
The players have been desperate to focus on honing their skills in the nets in the hope they can turn around the form which saw them lose so heavily last week.
Under the floodlights the pink ball is expected to swing more than the traditional red Kookaburra ball, which could suit the England bowling attack more than Australia.
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Stuart Broad and James Anderson are both top class seam bowlers and they have been working hard with the pink ball in an effort to get use to the different movement.
But while the bowlers will be licking their lips at the prospect of getting some lateral movement, the batsmen have more worries to focus on.
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Australia are targeting England’s senior men Alastair Cook and Root, believing their scalps expose the lack of quality and experience in the order.
Cook’s footwork let him down in Melbourne, and a swinging ball will only provide more examination of his ability at the crease.
The side have spent extra time in the nets batting with the pink ball – and they will do more work on Friday before the big match starts on Saturday.
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