Just a few hours before the first T20I between India and Bangladesh, social media platforms were flooded with claims of abandoning the contest due to degrading air quality in the national capital. Post Diwali 2019, New Delhi has been under severe criticism for the city’s extremely poor air quality. In this regard, it was to be seen if the match officials would have gone ahead with the game or not.
Nonetheless, the situation improved considerably before the match which resulted in a smooth affair for all involved. Hence, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s newly-appointed President Sourav Ganguly lauded both sides’ efforts in playing the match amidst tough conditions.
The former Indian skipper took to Twitter, post the proceedings, to thank both the sides. He tweeted:
”Thank u to both the teams to play this game @ImRo45 @BCBtigers under tuff conditions .. well done bangladesh ..”
After losing the toss and being asked to bat, India captain Rohit Sharma explained the team selection at the toss: “We would have bowled first as well considering the dew factor here. Our record chasing is good as well. Nevertheless, we want to change ourselves, that has been a concern over the overs. Batting first and defending it later,” he said.
“The pitch looks slightly sticky, we need to assess and see what will be a fighting score. This gives us an opportunity to test out few players from the domestic circuit. It’s their best chance to grab the opportunity. We are trying to stick with the same combination. Two medium pacers and Shivam is the all-rounder that gives us the balance,” he further added.
