India’s bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, backed Ravichandran Ashwin’s suggestion to start World Cup matches early to remove an unfair advantage for the second-placed team in dew point.
“Ashwin is correct. If you look closely, dew plays a role here and there. As the ball ages, it tilts in favor of the list. It doesn’t spin and the ball is (well) off the wicket. It (the dew element) makes batting easier,” Mhambrey said before India’s second ODI against New Zealand on Friday.
“That’s a call I can’t take. The ICC and the board need to discuss this. It’s a key point and needs to be looked into. Both teams can play at eye level.”
Ashwin recently suggested on his YouTube channel that World Cup matches could start at 11:30 am. Captain Rohit Sharma also endorsed the idea earlier this week.
New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner also endorsed the idea. “I think this is an interesting question because I saw all the teams win the (T20) World Cup (2021) in Dubai just because of the thaw factor. It’s a way to remove the dew,” said Santner.
“If the pitch stays the same all the time, that could be an option. But without the ropes, things start to turn around in the second half of the second inning. Luckily I don’t make all those decisions. ”