Wynne Gray: Dignified form to be sullied by splash of colour

New Zealand bowlers Neil Wagner and Matt Henry inspect the pink ball. Photo / Getty

Test cricket. Proper cricket rather than the collection of individuals in their garish costumes whose one day or night antics fuel the reactions of boorish spectators who challenge stadiums' capacity.

Now the dignified cadences of the five day game are about to be sullied by men using a ball of pink hue when umpires Illingworth and Ravi oversee Friday's mid-afternoon start of play at the Adelaide Oval.

Discussions about the need for change will go up another level when years of pink-ball testing in lower grade and Sheffield Shield matches are converted into test match evaluation.

Cricket has canned timeless tests, uncovered wickets, a single form of the game, changed the no-ball laws, balls in an over and introduced helmets, day-night internationals, different bat sizes and bent arm deliveries.

However there is resistance from some of the game's hierarchy like ECB chairman Colin Graves who does not want any change to test cricket in the longer daylight hours in the UK and has similar support from senior cricket voices in Australia.

Others point to recent paltry crowd figures and maintain test cricket cannot survive with that sort of spectator interest. Change is essential if five-day inquisitions are going to survive.

But artificial light and a pink ball which ages prematurely? What next, the umps in hi-vis jackets?

"I'm not saying we're going to solve everything but at least we're giving it a go," says John Stephenson, the MCC cricket boss. "I've always said that you can't just leave test cricket as it is; you've got to try something."

Bowlers say the pink ball loses its shape, swing and colour too quickly and others mention fielding difficulties. Batsmen will find it tough but that happens on green tops at the start of play now.

Every aspect of this test will be examined, probably in greater detail than the sides' previous tests this summer but that's what happens with any significant change to a sport.

- Remember the ruckus about outlawing rucking or five point tries in rugby
- Or the furore about changing the size of the golf ball.
- Goal line technology introduced in football.
- Baseball managers' challenges for disputed decisions.