IND vs NZ: Team India's sidearm thrower cleans Jasprit Bumrah's spikes to ensure safety on ground while fielding

In the 21st match of the ICC Cricket World 2023, India are facing New Zealand at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The weather forecast indicates a 20 percent chance of rain at the venue, and the humidity levels are quite high. These conditions have caused the grass on the field to become softer and wear out rapidly, leading to it sticking to the players' shoe spikes.

On the boundary line, Raghu Raghavendra, the specialist in sidearm throws for the Indian team, was observed cleaning Jasprit Bumrah's shoe spikes. India's throw-down specialist, S. Raghu, had a plan in motion. He patrolled the boundary area with the brush, carefully cleaning the shoe soles of Indian players to ensure they could move freely on the wet outfield. Using the thick brush, he removed the slush from their boots and even provided them with water for added comfort.

Raghu cleaning the shoes of Indian players so they can comfortably field. pic.twitter.com/fj9QuGlcFr

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 22, 2023

“Every little thing was taken care of. Raghu knew that the players would have to run on the soggy field and the mud would stick to their spikes. This would hamper their movement and even result in them slipping. This was a game where every little slip-up would have made a difference. Once the game started, he was patrolling the field with the sole purpose of keeping the boots of the players clean,” said a member of the support staff.

Jasprit Bumrah remained frugal and kept New Zealand under check in ODI World Cup 2023

Speaking of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 encounter between India and New Zealand, skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to have a go with the ball first keeping in mind the overcast and chilly conditions and possible dew factor chipping in later in the evening. Though Indian bowlers started well by picking two wickets in quick succession, a vital 159-run partnership between centurion Daryll Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra propelled New Zealand to a decent total of 273 on the board.

Notably, in the middle overs when the Kiwis were scoring briskly, it was none other than Jasprit Bumrah who curbed down the run flow by conceding just 45 runs in his quota of 10 overs including a maiden over. As a result, this eventually helped his counterpart Mohammad Shami who finished with a five-wicket haul to bring India back into the game. It will be interesting to see how Team India start their innings against one of the strongest team in the ongoing ODI World Cup.

Also Check: Most Wickets in ODI World Cup 2023