Night and day: Conditions a stark contrast

IT was around 6.30 PM on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium.

- GOMESH S @NewDelhi

India captain Suryakumar Yadav was standing alongside USA captain Monank Patel in the middle. Moments before the toss, Yadav excused himself to greet Rohit Sharma, who was walking past them. Yadav went to Rohit with a question: “Say quickly, should I bat or bowl?”To that, the former captain said: “Are you mad? Field first. It was an offhanded conversation that went viral on social media.

However, it underlines the theme in the tournament so far. Every team that has won the toss in the 7 PM games so far at the World Cup has opted to bowl first. And with good reason. Whether it is in Sri Lanka or India, the night games under lights mean there is a significant chance of dew coming into play. And teams, more often than not, prefer to chase. Another reason is that seamers usually get some movement early on under lights. This is in contrast to the matches that start at 11 AM and 3 PM. Though it may not seem like much, in 12 daygames, four times teams have opted to bat first. Historical data suggests that the toss does not have a significant say in day games, and it has been no different this season.