The impending Cricket World Cup promises an extra layer of excitement as India’s coach, Rahul Dravid, acknowledges that excessive moisture on the field will add intrigue to the top-flight ODI competition.
Set to kick off next Thursday across 10 cities, the tournament will see 48 matches, with all but six scheduled as day-night contests. In India, such fixtures often entail high moisture levels on the field after sunset, leading to a moist ball that can be challenging to grip.
Commenting on the potential impact of dew, Dravid noted, “India is a big country, and there are many venues, so it’s hard to say it (dew) is going to be the same everywhere.” He spoke following India’s 66-run loss to Australia in their third and final ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday, emphasizing, “Each venue and each day will be different. It’s one of the hardest things to predict with dew.”
Dew primarily affects bowlers and fielders as day-night matches progress, often prompting most captains to opt for bowling first after winning the toss. However, the degree to which dew will be a factor remains unpredictable.
Drawing from his experience as a former India captain, Dravid recalled playing on fields that were “soaked” the day before the match but miraculously dried up by game time. “As the tournament goes on, at some venues it will be a factor, and at some, it may not. It’s going to make it more interesting,” he stated.
India, currently the top-ranked team across all formats, is gearing up for their World Cup campaign, commencing with a clash against Australia on October 8. Fans are eagerly anticipating their high-stakes encounter with Pakistan. Ahead of the main event, India will also play two warm-up matches, beginning with England in Guwahati on September 30.
