India Green and India Blue will be fighting for a spot in the Duleep Trophy final against India Red when they take the field in the last game of the league phase from September 4 to 7, 2016. While India Green had lost their first game to India Red, India Blue’s match was called off due to rain without even one innings being completed in the multi-day tournament being played under lights with the pink ball in Greater Noida.
The Suresh Raina-led India Green are boosted by the presence of M Vijay and pacer Jasprit Bumrah while Cheteshwar Pujara has joined the India Blue squad for the crucial encounter.
Speaking about the preparations ahead of the all important game, Blue’s Mohit Sharma said, “As far as the batting goes our top-order had batted well and our middle-order too had an opportunity to bat. We had lost five wickets, Sheldon Jackson (in the lower middle-order) too had made runs so almost everyone had got an opportunity to bat.
“However, from the bowling point of view, we didn’t get an opportunity, so keeping that in mind we have practiced today (Saturday). We are bowling in two-two spells, so as to get a measure of how things can or not work with the old ball as well. We have practiced keeping in mind the dew factor also. For that (we practiced by) making the ball slightly wet so that we know what the ball does or doesn’t do. Let’s see what happens in the match but we are prepared,” he explained.
Reflecting on the first game, India Green wicketkeeper, Parthiv Patel said, “We were playing the first game of the season, so there were a lot of thoughts in our mind. But I think we should be prepared for tomorrow’s game. This is going to be a big net session for us. It is going to be a virtual semi-final game so not to worry about what we have done in the last game. We will try and take the positives from it and try and win this one.
“Maybe we got to be slightly (more) careful while playing under lights because we have seen throughout that five – six wickets have fallen under light in both the games,” he elaborated.
“The twilight period has been the toughest period even while playing one-day cricket. One has to get used to the light (coming on) and the natural light. It is something which we will get used to as we play lot more games,” Parthiv mentioned. Discussing the visibility and the way the pink ball behaves, the top-order batsman said, “Obviously the seam is different than that of the red ball. It is moving slightly more than the red ball. And then towards the end (of day) due to the dew it skids and comes on to the bat. While the red ball becomes softer this one skids and comes on. There is a difference but we need more games to get an exact idea of how it will play when there is a lot of dew.
“Visibility wise, the pink ball looks better than the red ball in the afternoon. And at night, it comes on the way the white ball does, not much of a difference,” he mentioned.
“At night there is a bit of thing (issue) because the seam is dark so you can’t see the rotations. That is one the reasons both wrist spinners – Kuldeep an Shreyas did well. As you play more you will get a better idea,” he explained.
Sharing the bowler’s point of view, the India Blue pacer said, “The red ball when new doesn’t move as much as this one, it gets better as it becomes older. With the pink ball, the glaze doesn’t go and it doesn’t become old or get better. When there is dew, it becomes wet and skids and comes on to the bat from a bowler point of view I will say that, that is not good for the bowler.”
Having assessed the conditions, the best they could in the short while, both teams are raring to go as they make another bid towards laying a claim for the coveted trophy. Talking about the tournament and the opportunities that the new format (changed from zonal to three teams of best of available players) has provided, Parthiv said, “It is very competitive. When the best of the Indian players are playing obviously the India A and Indian team players are not here, but still you are playing against the best of the players who have done well last season. If you do well here in a couple of games, it tells you that you have done well against the best of the players.”
“I am always all for trying something new. If you don’t try anything new you won’t know what’s going to happen. Here it is almost like the format for Challenger Trophy where you are playing against best of the players. You have to be on the top of your game every time. In these teams everyone has done well, everyone has proven themselves. Most of the them have played for India, there are a lot of them who are on the verge of playing. All are quality players and as a player, if you do well against quality players, it gives you more confidence and the selectors also have an option that these players have done well against quality players,” he concluded.
