Will India play with three pacers in Chennai Test against Bangladesh?
India will take on Bangladesh in the first Test match of a two-match series, which begins on Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai. As India is expected to field its strongest possible starting XI, there has been a lot of discussion about the behaviour of the Chennai pitch.
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the Chennai pitch will be made of red dirt, which will potentially offer quality bounce and carry to the fast bowlers. Traditionally, the Chennai wicket is known to help spin bowlers, but a pitch made up of red dirt often provides good bounce, which also favours the fast bowlers.
Nature of Chennai wickets for India vs Bangladesh first Test
The MA Chidambaram Stadium has nine pitches, three of which are made of red soil imported from Mumbai. The Mumbai variant of red soil is known to provide good bounce to both pacers and bowlers.
How does black earth pitch behave?
The black dirt pitch generally offers help to pitchers, but the bounce may not be as challenging for hitters.
Nature of Chepauk wicket when India last played in Chennai
The last time India played a Test match in Chennai against England was in 2021, with two back-to-back Test matches. The pitch for the first match was made of red soil, which started to deteriorate only in the afternoon of the 4th. The pitch for the second match had a red soil base with a top layer of black soil.
India lost the first Test match against England, while they emerged victorious in the second as R Ashwin scored a counter-attacking century and took five wickets in the second innings to seal the game for the country.
Why would India prefer to use red earth pitch instead of black earth pitch?
With five matches scheduled in the unstable conditions of Australia, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma could opt to prepare for those games on a shaky pitch. However, this strategy could be a double-edged sword for Team India as a failure in such conditions at home could invite harsh criticism.
Why are pitch conditions important?
The pitch behaviour will significantly influence India’s selection for the starting XI in the first Test. If the team management feels that the Chennai pitch will help the fast-paced bowlers with the old ball, India may opt to field three fast-pacers and two bowlers.
The last time India fielded three fast bowlers was on home soil during the 2019 Kolkata Test against Bangladesh. However, that was a day-night Test, the only one played under lights in India, where the fast bowlers were given assistance during the twilight period due to the pink ball.
India’s possible starting XI for the first Test: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav/Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
First published: September 17, 2024 | 12:03 pm IS
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.