‘Why shouldn’t we start matches at…’- Ravichandran Ashwin comes up with interesting suggestion to counter dew factor
Ravichan dran Ashwin believes that the start time of the matches, which will be played in the ODI World Cup 2023, should begin at an early stage in the day. He believes that if this happens, then the dew factor will be countered. This is something that could be pondered upon because the dew factor has had a bearing on the results of the matches held in India historically.
Dew has tilted the balance of a match in favour of chasing sides. When there is dew involved, the skipper wins the toss and invariably elects to field first as gripping the ball and fielding in the second innings becomes more challenging. In India day-night matches generally start at 1:30 and go into the night. Ashwin said that even if one team has played better than the other, the actual result is not seen because of dew. To counter this, Ashwin thinks that matches will have more balance if they start at 11:30 a.m.
Dew is narrowing the gap if you lose the toss- Ravichandran Ashwin
To illustrate the case in point. He inferred from the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Guwahati. “My suggestion – or rather my opinion – for the World Cup is to look at what venues we are playing in, and at what times. Why shouldn’t we start matches at 11.30 am during the World Cup?” He said on his YouTube channel.
In the first ODI, India racked up the runs and got to 373-7, Sri Lanka ended up on 308 due to Dasun Shanaka who scored 108 off 88 balls with 12 fours and three sixes. “India batted beautifully on a slow wicket and posted a score well above par. Still they ended up having to fight tooth and nail,” he said. “The quality difference between the teams isn’t coming through – dew is narrowing that gap if you happen to lose the toss.” he added.
“The Cricket governing body knows very well that there will be dew, so let’s advance the game, and if we start at 11.30 am, the dew factor won’t come into the game, and why not? “Won’t all cricket fans prioritise the World Cup and watch matches at 11.30?” He opined. The dew factor makes it difficult in the second innings for pacers and especially spinners to grip a dew-soaked ball.
