Odisha: In an unprecedented move to ensure a fair contest for the high-voltage T20 International (T20I) between India and South Africa this week, the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) has sourced a special, imported anti-dew chemical to negate the perennial “dew factor” at the Barabati Stadium.
The decision underscores the growing pressure on cricket administrators to manage environmental variables that increasingly skew the result of day-night matches in the Indian winter.
The intervention is seen as a tactical necessity to protect the competitive balance of a match with high commercial stakes, including broadcast revenue and a projected full-house crowd of over 40,000 spectators.
The dew factor, common in northern and eastern Indian winters, makes the ball wet and slippery for the fielding side in the second innings, severely compromising the grip for bowlers, especially spinners, and effectively rendering the toss a significant advantage. This instability has recently plagued the Indian team in white-ball cricket, with the assistant coach acknowledging the dew can swing a result by as much as “10 to 20 per cent”.
To combat this, OCA’s Chief Pitch Curator, Dr. Anjan Kumar Khuntia, confirmed that the specialized chemical is being sprayed on the outfield from Sunday until the match day.
”This chemical will help in preventing, or at least minimizing, dew from accumulating on the grass, thereby ensuring a smooth and dry surface for the fielding side,” Dr. Khuntia stated.
While the exact proprietary name of the imported chemical has not been disclosed by the OCA, such solutions are typically agri-adjuvants (like the widely used APSA-80 in past international matches).
These non-ionic surfactants are designed to reduce the surface tension of water, causing dew droplets to spread out and evaporate faster rather than clinging to the grass blades.
This chemical application, a first for Barabati Stadium, is one half of a two-pronged strategy:
Pre-match spraying of the anti-dew agent and Intensive use of super soppers and dry ropes to manually remove any remaining excess moisture from the outfield and boundary ropes during the innings breaks.