The second and final Test match between India and the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla is expected to have an excellent batting surface. Curators anticipate that the pitch would support strokeplay for the first two days of play before providing only a slow turn as the match goes on.
The Kotla’s usually black-soil surface is known for helping batters in the early going before progressively disintegrating to allow spinners to call the shots.
However, a new center strip has been made for this Test, and it is anticipated that batsmen would dominate the early part of the match.
“The centre strip has been prepared for the Test. This is a different track from the one on which Smriti Mandhana scored a 50-ball hundred,” a PTI report quoted a BCCI source as saying on condition of anonymity.
The official claims that the curators have purposefully concentrated on making sure that there is even bounce and true carry in the initial stages.
“If West Indies bat better, then the match won’t end inside three days. The pitches would only offer turn from Day Three and that too slowish in nature,” the report quoted the source as saying.
Senior BCCI curators Taposh Chatterjee and Ashish Bhowmick are in charge of the finishing touches, while local curator Ankit Datta is supervising the pitch preparation.
Slow turners, on which spinners gradually dominate the game as it progresses, have historically been the hallmark of the Kotla.
However, there are signs that the batters may have a very easy ride through this Test, at least until the third day’s afternoon session.
After winning the first Test in Ahmedabad by an innings and 140 runs, India leads the two-match series 1-0.
