Australia field team masseur on Day 1 of historic Day/Night Test

Australia fielded their masseur and logistics coordinator Grant Baldwin in the final session of day one

The first day-night Test match between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide Oval is itself historic. Making the match more significant, Australian team fielded their masseur and logistics coordinator Grant Baldwin in final session of day one. This session was played under the floodlights.

Cricket Australia tweeted, “Grant Baldwin is the team masseur and logistics coordinator, currently fielding in the #DayNightTest! #AUSvNZ.”

Grant Baldwin is the team masseur and logistics coordinator, currently fielding in the #DayNightTest! #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/eZiLldfW3D

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) November 27, 2015

Baldwin was filling in for the injured Mitchell Starc, who had hobbled off earlier with an ankle injury. The 28-year old Baldwin showed that he was in prime shape in his limited time in front of the 45,000 crowd.

Test match Playing Conditions set by International Cricket Council (ICC) state that if a fielder is injured, one of the nominated substitute players can come on the field as replacement. However, if the match referee allows, someone not nominated as a substitute can also replace an injured fielder. The ICC rules regarding substitution in Test matches are as follows:

“Only those nominated as substitute fielders shall be entitled to act as substitute fielders during the match, unless the ICC Match Referee, in exceptional circumstances, allows subsequent additions.

1.2.3 All those nominated including those nominated as substitute fielders, must be eligible to play for that particular team and by such nomination the nominees shall warrant that they are so eligible.

1.2.4 In addition, by their nomination, the nominees shall be deemed to have agreed to abide by all the applicable ICC Regulations pertaining to international cricket and in particular, the Clothing and Equipment Regulations, the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel (hereafter referred to as the ICC Code of Conduct), the Anti-Racism Code for Players and Player Support Personnel, the Anti-Doping Code and the Anti-Corruption Code.”

Previous instances of unusual substitute fielders

Previously also there have been such instances in international matches when players not included in a team’s squad have played. Last year in a One Day International match against West Indies, owing to injuries in the team, England had to call up their assistant coach and former captain Paul Collingwood as a substitute. The Master Blaster himself has fielded for Pakistan in a festival match.

Sachin Tendulkar had played for Pakistan in this match against India at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium when he was 13-year-old. In his autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’ he has said, “I don't know whether Imran Khan remembers this or has any idea that I once fielded for his Pakistan team.”

Recently, Mandeep Singh fielded for South Africa A in a match against India A, to help out the South African team who were debilitated with a bout of food poisoning.

In the day-night Test at Adelaide, Kiwis won the toss and decided to bat first. The Australian bowlers dominated the innings as New Zealand was bundled out for a total of 202 runs.