Rishabh returns against South Africa-A: Shami shown the door!
Rishabh Pant is returning to mainstream cricket after July. Before the series between India and South Africa, he was chosen as the captain of the India-A squad against South Africa-A for two four-day matches, scheduled to start on 30th October. So, India’s Test vice-captain will be missing the Ranji Trophy. The wicketkeeper-batsman was ruled out of the game for three months with a broken foot, which forced him to miss the Asia Cup, Test series against West Indies, and the Australia tour. South Africa Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma will also feature in the 2nd four-day match ahead of the India-South Africa Test series. Bavuma missed out on the Pakistan tour as he was sidelined with an injury. India will also play three One-Day matches against South Africa-A, starting 13th November. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s participation in the matches has not yet been confirmed. The BCCI has not yet announced the squad for those three One-Day matches yet. The 1st four-day match will have young players from India’s Test squad, including Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal. It is also an opportunity for Rajat Patidar to impress as he is eying a Test comeback on the back of scintillating red-ball form. However, one surprising omission is of Sarfaraz Khan, who continues to be absent since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. While Rishabh Pant will continue to lead the squad in the 2nd match, he will have India’s Test regulars. KL Rahul, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, who are not in India’s T20I squad for the Australia tour, will play the 2nd match against South Africa A. Significantly, Mohammed Shami continues to be neglected by the BCCI selection committee. It seems that the selectors are not willing to bring him back to at least Test cricket. Despite proving fitness, and having shown his class in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy opening match against Uttarakhand, Mohammed Shami has not found a place in the India-A squad for South Africa-A series. He picked up 7 wickets for Bengal against Uttarakhand. Shami recently made headlines when he countered BCCI chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar’s, claims about his fitness. Agarkar said he was not fit ahead of Asia Cup. He was also not considered for the ODIs against Australia. However, his absence in the India-A series raises the question of whether selectors have planned to show him the door permanently!
Adelaide Curator uses heat lamps to dry pitch before second ODI
The rain played spoilsport in India’s first One Day International (ODI) at Perth. The match was finally completed in 26 overs each due to continuous rain throughout India’s innings. So, in a bid to protect the pitch from the interruption of rain at Adelaide Oval for the 2nd ODI, the curator has been using Heat Lamp 48 hours before the match on Thursday to dry the pitch. According to reports from Australian media, the pitch curator in Adelaide deployed heat lamps on the centre wicket to dry them as there is a 99% chance of rain through Tuesday night. In the subcontinent, many have witnessed hairdryers, wood-fire, pedestal fans and even helicopter to dry pitches. But in Australia and England, the stadium authorities deploy modern measures. Heat lamps are nothing but high wattage bulbs that generate more heat than traditional light-bulbs and LED lights. These lamps emit infrared radiation to generate heat, which is directed towards the wet patches on the pitch. As a result, it evaporates the moisture on the soil and grass. Heat lamps are used in various purposes, including bathrooms and animal farms, to help speed up the drying process. Pitch curators across the world also turn to an array of heat lamps to quickly dry outfields and pitches. The best pitch of the lot is traditionally expected at the Adelaide Oval. The pitch generally offers a flat surface with even bounce. However, for the 2nd ODI, it could be a little different. With a lot of rainfall predicted on Monday and Tuesday, the pitch will remain under covers. Although, the forecast for Thursday is great with lot of sunlight, the fact that the pitch would remain under cover for at least 48 hours before the match day, there will be moisture. Australia’s fast bowlers, such as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Ellis, could benefit if India bat first because moisture in the pitch may create seam movement, making batting challenging early on. As heat lamps continue to dry the surface during the day and sunlight increases, the pitch is expected to lose moisture, making conditions easier for batters later in the match. With India down 0-1 in the three-match series, it’s a do-or-die for India to restore parity. India have not won an ODI series in Australia since 2019.
