Giant totals made. They are threatened and surpassed. It has happened in ODIs in India a number of times. In 2013, India famously chased down 350-plus twice in a series against Australia. Even 414 was not safe against Sri Lanka a few years before that, when the home team won by three runs.
It’s not only because of batting-friendly pitches. The ongoing ODI series against South Africa is again demonstrating how dew becomes the decider and winning the toss turns out to be the turning point, even before a ball has been bowled! They got close to 350 in the first game and dwarfed 358 in the second. Gripping the ball becomes a nightmare at times and bowlers have no control over where it lands. What explains so many long hops by Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav? They can err once or twice in 10 overs. Not bowl one or two of those in every over.
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This is something the Indian cricket establishment has not addressed. A responsible governing body should look for a solution when it sees a problem persist, which can make the difference in high-stake games. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not done anything to ensure that this sort of an uneven contest doesn’t happen.
There are solutions. Dew starts affecting these games in India in certain parts at specific times of the year. Don’t allot matches there during those months. But, because there is a rotation system in place followed mechanically, it is not possible. Everybody has to have a share of the pie.
Fair enough. Then start those matches early. Dew becomes a problem not before 8 pm in most places. Spraying chemicals, using super-soppers or rubbing the ground manually doesn’t work. So what prevents an 11 am start? At most, an ODI lasts eight hours. An 11 am start means it’s over by 7 pm. Or, have a day match like in the days gone by. Why do this despite knowing that a late end kills the contest.
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That’s because we want a match in the evening and the climax in the late evening. Isn’t it? That’s why all the stake-holders are still committed to the spectacle under lights. That’s why the timings are not changed, in spite of inviting the risk of the bowlers being at the mercy of nature in the second half. Try gripping a wet, white cricket ball and see how unmanageable it is. This is not an exaggeration. Ask any bowler.
Then, the economics of day-night games in India are so sky-high that the essential spirit of the sport can be compromised. It doesn’t matter if this negligence kills a level-playing field as long as the cash keeps flowing. The bosses know this. As long as they indulge, this will not end.
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