India to be wary of tricky twilight conditions at Motera
AHMEDABAD, India: Indian players will have to focus more on their batting during challenging twilight conditions in a pink ball day-night Test against England later this week, opener Rohit Sharma said on Sunday.
Sharma’s comments came on the heels of India’s disastrous show in their last pink ball match against Australia in December.
The vaunted Indian side was skittled out for 36 — their lowestever score in Test cricket — as Australia romped home to an eight-wicket victory.
India and England are tied 1-1 in the current series and the third match beginning on Wednesday will see the home team contesting in a day-night game once again.
The match will go ahead at Ahmedabad’s revamped Sardar Patel Stadium, the largest cricket venue in the world with a seating capacity of 110,000.
The match will go ahead at Ahmedabad’s revamped Sardar Patel Stadium, the largest cricket venue in the world with a seating capacity of 110,000
Sharma, who missed December’s Adelaide game with an injury, said the conditions become tougher for batsmen when the sun is just about to set.
“It’s a little challenging because the weather and light suddenly changes. You have to focus slightly more’’, he said.
“All our batters are aware that they have to be mindful of this session.”
Stakes are high in the game for both India and England, who are vying with Australia to make it to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship at Lord’s in June.
New Zealand have qualified for the final.
But Sharma said India would try not to think too much about making it to the final and instead focus on the matches at hand.
“We are happy to qualify and play the final (at Lord’s) but there are little steps to take before that. We have to focus on the two Test already matches and see what happens after that’’, he said.
“It is important not to focus too far ahead as it adds too much pressure. We must stay in the present and focus on the job at hand.”
The swashbuckling batsman also defended the turning pitch that India dished out for the second Test in Chennai.
“Pitch is same for both the teams, I don’t know why it is discussed so much. Everyone takes advantage of home conditions.”
MUSCAT: Muscat International Airport has received 4-star rating by Skytrax in implementing health and safety measures to curb the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the airport environment.
It ranked high among Middle East and Asia airports. The accomplishments caps concerted efforts exerted by Muscat International Airport since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The announcement sums up a rigorous review through which Skytrax assessed the effectiveness and firmness of safety and sterilisation measures applied by world airports, right from the point where a passenger is registered upon arrival to the moment of departure.
The accomplishment reflects the efforts undertaken by Oman Airports Company to provide the best safety services to passengers, thanks to the company’s long standing history of applying top standards of health and safety in airports in line with national efforts to stem the spread of Covid-19.
Saud Nassir Deputy CEO International al Hubeishi, of Muscat Airport, expressed his delight at the airport’s realising such a high rating. He pointed out that, besides commitment to professional procedures in implementing Covid-19 control policies, the achievement also reflects the level of cooperation with the departments concerned amid circumstances posed by the pandemic.
Skytrax evaluation is based on testing the standards of personal protection equipment among department staff and their commitment to the procedures.
This is in addition to applying temperature measurement, wearing of face masks, general hygiene and sanitation in all airport lounges.