This is one of several effects anticipated from one of the most significant changes to cricket's traditional format in its 138-year history.

New Zealand predict skippers will be encouraged to declare earlier to take advantage of the tricky twilight period, when it is likely to be hardest to bat.

Australia captain Steve Smith used an early declaration to devastating effect in last month's day-night Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval, the site of the Test starting on Friday.

As Smith's team, NSW, were down to their last wicket he declared late on the first day of the match against South Australia, even though it had another 12 overs to accumulate bonus points with the bat. In their six overs before stumps Test pacemen Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood removed the Redbacks' top three batsmen for ducks to leave them reeling at 3-3.

In the weekend practice match between New Zealand and Western Australia the pink ball swung most conspicuously late on day one, with the Black Caps claiming 5-36 in the 10 overs delivered with the new pink ball at the end of day one. The victims included century-maker Sam Whiteman and top-order duo Marcus Harris and Jon Wells, who had returned to the crease.

Black Caps coach Mike Hesson backed the notion, raised at the weekend by Mike Hussey, that captains would do their utmost to be able to take the new ball under lights. He predicted it could lead to more focus on how batsmen fared against the new ball at the end of the day rather than at the start of it.

"It's a little bit like having a bowl for half an hour at the end of the day or wanting to bowl first thing in the morning, if you think that's the best chance to take a few early wickets. There'll definitely be some tactical plays throughout the Test," Hesson said after their practice match at the WACA Ground.

"That's one thing that's been very consistent over the past couple of years with the pink ball. At night with the new ball it swings – and probably more so than it does during the day."

WA paceman Joel Paris, who raved about his experience bowling with the pink ball, reckoned it was "a different game when the lights come on and the second new ball comes out".

"If you're batting and can get through that initial new-ball period [at the start of play] you can cash in through the middle part of the day, and then obviously when the lights come on the quicks have a little bit more of an impact."

Teams have long batted under lights in one-day cricket, however the timing of when innings begin has typically meant batsmen face the new ball in natural light. Teams batting second in night Twenty20 matches do face the new ball under floodlights, although their priorities are incomparable to those of the batsmen who will do so in this match.

Across the three day-night shield matches played last month and the practice match at the weekend a total of 13 wickets were taken in night sessions against the new ball, at an average of 17.54. Of the seven times it occurred only once did the batting team not shed a wicket: on day three at Blundstone Arena, after WA declared, when Tasmania made 0-28 from 13 overs.

The Warriors batsmen who faced Black Caps duo Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell with the new ball on Saturday night benefited from the new ball being much easier to see than the 80-overs-old one it replaced, although that was offset by the amount it moved in the air.

The pink ball used on Sunday in Perth appeared to be much more resilient in holding its colour, before it was replaced when New Zealand agreed – and seemingly urged – WA to take the second new ball four overs before it was due, so they could get more practice batting under lights against it. Ross Taylor strategically came to the crease during this period, while opener Tom Latham and wicketkeeper B.J. Watling return to the crease specifically for it.

"In Canberra [at the start of the tour] the ball got a bit dirty but it wasn't so dirty here in this game," said Martin Guptill, who retired at 103. "We're still not sure how it's going to go in Adelaide, whether it's going to get dirty or whether it's going to keep its colour, so we'll have to see what happens when it comes to that time."

While Hesson was generally satisfied with the Black Caps' preparation against the pink ball – "We head to Adelaide knowing not everything but knowing enough" – he stressed there was still some uncertainty about how the pink balls would behave in their first Test.

"Over the five days it's certainly going to dry out so it might hold its colour a lot more at the start of the Test than it will at the end. But it's not a perfect science, is it?" he said. "There's no doubt there's some different characteristics: starting later, a lot more drying time for the surface . . . that's something that we need gather some more information on."

With New Zealand's pink-ball preparation consisting of a pre-tour training camp at home, a one-dayer in Canberra and the weekend match at the WACA Ground their players are unsure if they will also be able to achieve reverse swing with the old pink ball. Bowling coach Dimi Mascarenhas said it was harder to successfully buff the pink ball as it wore, to retain shine, than it was for a red ball.

WA's Paris said he and his teammates focused on containment during the period leading up to the second new ball being available.

"Obviously throughout the middle periods when the ball wasn't doing a lot you have to change your length a bit and bring it back a little bit," he said.

PLAYING THE PINK

How batting teams have fared against the new ball in night sessions this season.

- SA 3-3 off 6 overs v NSW on day 1 at Adelaide Oval.

- Qld 2-35 off 16 overs v Vic on day 1 at MCG.

- WA 1-61 off 16 overs v Tas on day 1 at Blundstone Arena.

- Tas 0-28 off 13 overs v WA on day 3 at Blundstone Arena.

- Tas 3-18 off 14.4 overs v WA on day 4 at Blundstone Arena.

- WA 5-36 off 10 overs v NZ on day 1 at WACA Ground.

- NZ 2-50 off 13.2 overs on day 2 at WACA Ground.

Total: 89 overs, 16 wickets at 14.48, 2.6 runs per over.