SHARJAH: West Indian leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo says the novelty of using a pink ball can help bamboozle Pakistan’s batsmen when the teams meet in Asia’s first day-night Test in Dubai from Thursday.

Bishoo warmed up for the landmark Test by taking 5-107 in a 36-over workout to help the West Indies bowl out a Pakistan Cricket Board Patron’s XI for 308 on the second day of the three-day match in Sharjah on Saturday.

Now, the 30-year-old from Guyana is keen to catch Pakistan’s star-studded batting line-up — which includes Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq — cold in the three-Test series.

“The feedback I got from the batsmen was that they were finding it difficult to pick,” said Bishoo of the pink ball.

However, he added: “It was not spinning because the pitch was a bit flat and slow. You have to bowl with pace. It gets discoloured but it’s not different from the red or white ball.”

Bishoo, who will lead a West Indies spin attack which also includes off-spinner Roston Chase and left-armer Jomel Warrican, knows he faces a heavy workload against a Pakistan team which is traditionally comfortable against spin.

“Batsmen in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka are good so as a spinner you have to bowl at the right area and do the right things. I am ready for that and if you bowl good spin, you get rewards.

“I am just looking for a good series,” said Bishoo, who made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2011 — senior batsman Misbah was his first victim.

The spinner hopes the Test series will deliver better performances and results for the West Indies, who were routed 3-0 in both the Twenty20 and One-day Internationals.

“The limited-overs matches were different. They were difficult times, but that’s not on my mind. The Tests will be different.”

The second Test will be in Abu Dhabi (Oct 21-25) and the third in Sharjah (Oct 30-Nov 3).

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2016