In addition, Indian assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the matter, stating that the squad has been working behind the scenes to better adjust and prepare for such situations and acknowledged the substantial impact that dew has on the games.
With the ODI series against South Africa poised at 1-1 ahead of the decisive encounter in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, December 6, India found themselves in a difficult situation. In addition, the Men in Blue have been struggling with an uncommon run of bad luck at the toss; they have now lost 20 straight tosses, including both in the first two ODIs, which proved to be costly.
The dew element, which India found difficult to control when bowling under lights, had a significant impact on both games. The South African batting order was difficult to contain since some Indian bowlers gave up more than seven runs every over. The Proteas made a spectacular comeback in Raipur after barely losing the series opener in Ranchi.
“When we try to quantify the dew factor, we find that it varies between 10 and 20% [in terms of] how much of an impact it has [on the outcome].” During the pre-game press conference, Ten Doeschate stated, “I think we’re one in a million statistically right now [the probability of losing 20 straight tosses], so if we can go two million tomorrow, that’ll be pretty impressive.”
“But once more, it’s a bit of a joke, but the preparation or duty is to defeat whatever is presented to us; in the end, we will win a toss anyhow. Guys are bowling with damp balls while we conduct all the practical preparation work. Once more, he said, “like arranging our store to get a premium score, figuring out how to defend, and determining the best way to bowl with the wet ball when the grass is dewy.”
Today, ODI cricket operates in a different way than it did in the past. Previously, the format was skewed in favour of the batting side by using two new balls, one from each end, which made it easier for batters to score runs. The bowling side may select one of the two balls to use for the next 16 overs following the 34th over, according to a new rule implemented by the ICC. In order to ensure that the ball wears more and provides bowlers with more help in the later stages of an innings, this tweak aims to restore balance between bat and ball.
“The pair of balls. The rationale behind switching to one ball after 34 overs is that it gives the ball an opportunity to wear down and become a little softer. On the other hand, you have one ball that is effectively growing wetter when there is dew. Ten Doeschate stated, “I think the umpires have done a great job of permitting ball changes, but naturally you end up with a slightly harder ball, which defeats the purpose of going down to the one ball.”
“But like I mentioned, what has impressed me about this group this week is that we are aware of the difficulties, I haven’t heard any complaints, and the main thing is that we have to figure out how to overcome these difficulties, which is just another problem that we need to solve,” he continued.
Even though India scored around 350 runs in both games, the South African batsmen handled the chase calmly, thus even those totals were insufficient. Ten Doeschate admitted that Indian batters are now reevaluating their goals in light of the dew factor and shifting weather. Additionally, he proposed that starting games early could lessen the effect of dew and make the bat-ball contest more equitable.
“We initially believed that 320 was about par, but once we set a premium at 350, we believed that the Raipur game was the same. Even with the impending dew, we felt that 360 was a solid attempt to achieve that score. You’re always asking for more runs, and we’ve been talking about how to maximise.
Ten Doeschate remarked, “We just had a good conversation about what we said about guys starting in a little later on, what are the better options.”
“I believe that the dew is present throughout the entire game since it sort of falls when the second inning begins. Therefore, if you started two hours earlier, you might reduce that effect somewhat. That is a solution, however it is clear that there are a lot of variables involved in broadcasting, etc. Thus, I suppose the conversation is pointless,” he continued.
India has leaned on their all-rounders in Test matches and on specialised players in ODIs during South Africa’s tour. The mood in the dressing room has turned a little tight as the squad tries to get back on track after India’s 2-0 Test loss, which left the ODI series tied at one.
“I suppose that is a little unusual. You know, you would think that Test Cricket would have more experts, but that’s just where we are in the cycle right now, and the players we believe are currently the best to represent the squad. In Test cricket, you should ideally have a more reliable base of bowlers and hitters, but right now, it seems like the people playing for us are all-arounders. Ten Doeschate stated, “I just believe it is picking your best XI and that is just the way it is in the world.”
“The players on the team are vastly varied, but they all understand the responsibilities of the team they play for. Although we always want to win, there are times when a string of defeats starts to pile up and our performance falls short of our standards. He said, “I believe there is a slight aspiration to win the series tomorrow.”
India
