India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has revealed the team's meticulous preparations to combat the dew factor in the decisive third ODI against South Africa on Saturday, estimating its impact at 10-20 per cent on match outcomes. With the series locked at 1-1 after South Africa's stunning chase of 359 in Raipur—where dew severely hampered India's grip on the wet ball—ten Doeschate emphasised practical drills and strategic tweaks during a pre-match press conference.

The team has been simulating dewy conditions by having bowlers practise with wet balls, focusing on grip techniques and field placements to defend high totals. "We're doing all the practical prep stuff—guys bowling with wet balls, setting up strategies for premium scores, and figuring out how to defend when there's dew on the grass," he said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. India has consistently posted 340+ batting first but struggled to defend, losing the second ODI despite a strong batting effort.

Ten Doeschate noted that an earlier start time—such as two hours before the scheduled 1:30 PM IST—could marginally reduce dew's influence, as it typically intensifies in the second innings. However, he acknowledged broadcasting constraints make this "a futile conversation", drawing parallels to past series like India vs. Pakistan in 2012, where morning starts were trialled.

Also Read: R Ashwin Calls for Extended ODI Opportunity for Ruturaj Gaikwad After Maiden Ton

The coach admitted a "slight desperation" to clinch the ODI series after a 2-0 Test whitewash by South Africa—the Proteas' second consecutive clean sweep in India—despite different squads. "The guys are very aware of the responsibility... when losses stack up and performances dip below expectations, there's desperation to win," he added, urging focus on maximising batting and death-over execution.

Visakhapatnam's pitch, known for high-scoring games during the Women's World Cup, offers some respite with potentially less dew than Raipur, thanks to anti-dew sprays applied by ground staff. India stayed late on Friday to assess conditions, planning to deploy finger-spinners early if bowling second.

With explosive batting lineups on both sides, the decider promises fireworks, but India's bowlers—led by Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav—must adapt to any lingering moisture to avoid a third consecutive dew-assisted chase.

Also Read: Not RCB, CSK or MI — This Franchise Emerged as Google’s Most Searched IPL Team of 2025