NEW DELHI, Sept 28, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Excessive moisture on the field at the 
Cricket World Cup will make the top-flight ODI competition all the more 
interesting, India coach Rahul Dravid said.

The 50-over tournament kicks off next Thursday across 10 cities, and all but 
six of the 48 matches will be day-night contests.

In India that usually means high moisture on the field after sunset, which 
makes the ball moist and difficult to grip.

"India is a big country and there are many venues so it's hard to say it 
(dew) is going to be the same everywhere," Dravid said after India's 66-run 
loss to Australia in their third and final ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday.

"Each venue and each day will be different. It's one of the hardest things to 
predict with dew," he said.

Dew mainly affects bowlers and fielders as day-night matches progress, with 
most captains opting to bowl first after winning the toss as a result.

But whether it will be a factor at all is in itself unpredictable.

Dravid, a former India captain, said he had played games on fields where the 
ground would be "soaked" the day before but bone-dry by match time.

"As the tournament goes on, at some venues it will be a factor and at some it 
may not. It's going to make it more interesting," the 50-year-old said.

India, the top-ranked team across all formats, begin their World Cup campaign 
against Australia on October 8 followed by their hotly anticipated clash 
against Pakistan.

They will also play two warm-up matches beginning with England in Guwahati on 
September 30.