Pink ball a swinging hit in Adelaide

Mitchell Starc swung it. Nathan Lyon spun it. Steve Smith belted it. So did David Warner.

And the pink ball showed no signs of undue wear at the venue where the experimental leather will make its international debut late next month when Australia host New Zealand in the third Test.

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The pink ball didn't exactly earn rave reviews at Adelaide Oval after its use in the Sheffield Shield game between South Australia and NSW.

But neither was it panned outright by players.

Australian captain Smith noted some trouble in picking up the seam during the day in NSW's first innings.

But he's a fast learner - he walloped an unbeaten 152 in the second dig, batting night and day.

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His Test paceman Starc used the ball with devastating effect - he took eight wickets in the match, swinging the ball prodigiously.

Test opener Warner often smacked it hard - he made 77 and 30 in a successful comeback from a broken thumb.

And Lyon was able to make the pink ball spin and bounce, no worries at all.

"As a bowler there wasn't much difference for me," Lyon said.

"Probably the big thing was it was hard to buff up and get the shiny side up, that is one thing that I noticed different.

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"But at the end of the day we're playing a pink ball Test match in a couple of weeks’ time and this was a great hit-out at the venue we'll be playing at.

"There's six Australian guys in our NSW side who have had a good game."

Adelaide Oval's head groundsman Damian Hough deliberately kept more grass on the pitch to help keep some colour on the pink ball.

It's a successful tactic likely to be repeated in the third Test starting on November 27.