Saturday’s first one-day international between India and Australia at the Chinnaswamy stadium will be the first instance of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) experimental changes to field placements and ball changes coming into effect.

As of now, during the 20 overs of Power Play split into a mandatory first block of the first ten overs and two subsequent blocks of five overs each, only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. In a bid to allow the fielding captain some protection, it has been decided that during either the second or the third Power Play, at the discretion of the fielding captain, a third player can also patrol the boundary ropes.

The ICC has also made it mandatory that, irrespective of the condition of the ball, a ball-change will come into effect at the completion of the 34th over of each innings. Umpires might, depending on the discolouration, change a ball at any stage of the innings, of course, but after 34 overs, the ball must be compulsorily changed even if it is still fit for use in its existing form.

The free-hit rule in effect at the Twenty20 World Cup will now spill over to one-day international cricket. The free hit will only come into play for ‘foot fault’ -- if either the front foot or the back foot transgresses the bowling crease. There will be no free hit for a high full toss no-ball, for a second bouncer in an over, or for any violation of field restrictions that also invites a no-ball sanction.