(Image Source: AFP)
[Saba Sports News] South Africa’s stand-in captain, Aiden Markram, bluntly described the challenging heat conditions that affected both teams during their match against England at Wankhede Stadium on October 20. The extreme heat and humidity took a toll on the players, and they struggled throughout the game.
Mumbai’s scorching heat, coupled with air pollution, can be especially challenging for teams at this venue. Despite temperatures hovering around 32-33 degrees Celsius, it felt much hotter.
Markram acknowledged the brutal conditions, stating that their previous game in Mumbai was a stark reminder of the challenging weather in India. Some players took it upon themselves to prepare mentally and physically for the upcoming matches.
Heinrich Klaasen, who played a blistering knock of 109 off 67 balls in the grueling conditions, opted out of optional training due to exhaustion. He described the experience as akin to running in a sauna throughout the innings.
“It’s like breathing in hot air, and every time you try to run it’s just sapping more and more energy, and then your body just doesn’t want to work with you anymore. It’s almost like running in a sauna for the whole innings. We prepare for that and we’re used to these conditions, but it still takes a lot out of the body,” Klaassen shared after the match.
Markram assured that Klaasen is recovering well and will be ready to face Bangladesh in similar conditions.
“Klaas is a big sweater, so I assume it would play a role but I think for anyone in those conditions it would have taken a lot out of him and would have taken a day or two to recover most certainly so it’s not his fault that he sweats a lot but unfortunately that’s what he does. He gets quite worked up out there in the middle. I’m sure we all saw that,” Markram said.
“He’s a competitor and he’s really passionate about trying to do well for his country. I think you combine all of those factors together and come the end of the game I think you’re quite fatigued. The treatment and stuff he’s been doing, obviously a lot of sleep, it’s one of the most important things and it’s quite easy to do. But nutrition, massages, checking in with the physio, those sorts of things are quite important. So, he’s loading up his fuel tank and hopefully he’ll be in a good space to go again tomorrow.”
Bangladesh, unfamiliar with the conditions at Wankhede Stadium, had their practice sessions in scorching heat and experienced the challenges firsthand. The extreme humidity posed difficulties for both teams, and players had to hydrate regularly to cope with the conditions.
Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, faced dehydration during practice, while assistant fielding coach Faisal Hossain struggled with the heat and had to be attended to immediately. The players were seen prioritizing hydration and rest to prepare for the challenging weather.
“We want to rest and hydrate, take care of ourselves,” Shakib said. “We saw England and South Africa suffer in the weather. We are used to hot weather but it won’t be easy for us. The weather will treat both teams equally. Humidity is the major problem. No matter how much water you drink, you still lose fluid from your body. You get tired quickly. You can get cramps. I think it will be difficult for both teams,” Shakib stated.
Both teams acknowledged the difficulties posed by the heat and humidity and understood that it would be a challenging factor for both sides during their upcoming match.