As the South Africans pack their bags for Bengaluru ahead of the second Test on November 14, there is renewed focus on the pitches being laid out for them during their mammoth 72-day tour of India.
The first Test in Mohali proved that the playing surface will be a big factor in this series – a pitch previously known for helping pace bowlers changed into a dusty, cracking turner.
Both India and South Africa struggled to bat on the Mohali surface, barely managing 200 runs. In the end, India’s spinners proved to be just a tad better. And with the match wrapping up in eight sessions, the inevitable blame game began. Critics called the Mohali pitch sub-standard and unfit for cricket, while others felt that India were entitled to prepare a surface that suited their strengths.
With India 1-0 up in the four-match series, there is plenty of speculation about the kind of pitches that the home team will prepare for the remaining matches.
Second Test: Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (November 14-18)
Indian Premier League matches played here indicate that Bengaluru is a batsman’s paradise. Five IPL centuries have been scored at Bengaluru, including Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 in the first-ever IPL match in 2008, and Chris Gayle’s swashbuckling 175 in 2013.
Scores in international matches at the venue over the past few years conform to that trend. Rohit Sharma hit a double century in the last One Day International played here in 2013. India made 383 in that game, and Australia replied with 326.
Test matches at Bengaluru follow a similar pattern, albeit with a couple of aberrations. In the last two Test matches held at this venue, the visitors (New Zealand in 2012, Australia in 2010) scored heavily in the first innings before collapsing in the second innings. This indicates that the pitch may play true and firm for the first two days, before becoming increasingly difficult for batting as the match wears on.
Third Test: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur (November 25-29)
Nagpur has not been a happy hunting ground for India. In 2010, Dale Steyn was at his snarling best, picking up 7/51 to send India crashing to a rare innings defeat at home. A year later at the 2011 World Cup, Steyn picked up another five-wicket haul against India. The South African paceman is likely to miss the second Test after picking up an injury at Mohali, but the prospect of playing at one of his favourite grounds in the third Test may speed up his recovery.
The runs often flow freely at Nagpur, but fast bowlers do get a fair bit of assistance. Apart from Steyn’s exploits, England’s James Anderson and India’s Ishant Sharma picked up several wickets in the last Test played here. Spinner Piyush Chawla also picked up four wickets in that match, which augurs well for Amit Mishra, if selected.
A return to Nagpur is also good news for South African captain Hashim Amla, currently going through a lean spell. Amla played of one of his best-ever knocks here – an epic 253 that set up South Africa’s victory in 2010.
Fourth Test: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi (December 3-7)
It’s still uncertain whether Delhi will host the final Test in the wake of administrative trouble at the Delhi & District Cricket Association. The match may be shifted to Pune if the DDCA does not get its house in order by November 17.
If the match goes ahead as scheduled, the wicket should offer plenty of help to the spinners. This is where Anil Kumble picked up all 10 wickets in an innings back in 1999. And the pitch has been spinner-friendly in recent years as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picked up five-wicket hauls here against Australia in 2013, while Australia’s Nathan Lyon picked up a career-best 7/94. Amit Mishra and South African spinner Imran Tahir also fared well while playing for Delhi Daredevils at the IPL this year.
However, a surprise may be in store if the match is moved to the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Not much is known about the pitch, with the venue having hosted just a single ODI and Twenty20 International so far. But IPL matches played here indicate a flat surface conducive for run-making.
The first Test in Mohali proved that the playing surface will be a big factor in this series – a pitch previously known for helping pace bowlers changed into a dusty, cracking turner.
Both India and South Africa struggled to bat on the Mohali surface, barely managing 200 runs. In the end, India’s spinners proved to be just a tad better. And with the match wrapping up in eight sessions, the inevitable blame game began. Critics called the Mohali pitch sub-standard and unfit for cricket, while others felt that India were entitled to prepare a surface that suited their strengths.
With India 1-0 up in the four-match series, there is plenty of speculation about the kind of pitches that the home team will prepare for the remaining matches.
Second Test: Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (November 14-18)
Indian Premier League matches played here indicate that Bengaluru is a batsman’s paradise. Five IPL centuries have been scored at Bengaluru, including Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 in the first-ever IPL match in 2008, and Chris Gayle’s swashbuckling 175 in 2013.
Scores in international matches at the venue over the past few years conform to that trend. Rohit Sharma hit a double century in the last One Day International played here in 2013. India made 383 in that game, and Australia replied with 326.
Test matches at Bengaluru follow a similar pattern, albeit with a couple of aberrations. In the last two Test matches held at this venue, the visitors (New Zealand in 2012, Australia in 2010) scored heavily in the first innings before collapsing in the second innings. This indicates that the pitch may play true and firm for the first two days, before becoming increasingly difficult for batting as the match wears on.
Third Test: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur (November 25-29)
Nagpur has not been a happy hunting ground for India. In 2010, Dale Steyn was at his snarling best, picking up 7/51 to send India crashing to a rare innings defeat at home. A year later at the 2011 World Cup, Steyn picked up another five-wicket haul against India. The South African paceman is likely to miss the second Test after picking up an injury at Mohali, but the prospect of playing at one of his favourite grounds in the third Test may speed up his recovery.
The runs often flow freely at Nagpur, but fast bowlers do get a fair bit of assistance. Apart from Steyn’s exploits, England’s James Anderson and India’s Ishant Sharma picked up several wickets in the last Test played here. Spinner Piyush Chawla also picked up four wickets in that match, which augurs well for Amit Mishra, if selected.
A return to Nagpur is also good news for South African captain Hashim Amla, currently going through a lean spell. Amla played of one of his best-ever knocks here – an epic 253 that set up South Africa’s victory in 2010.
Fourth Test: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi (December 3-7)
It’s still uncertain whether Delhi will host the final Test in the wake of administrative trouble at the Delhi & District Cricket Association. The match may be shifted to Pune if the DDCA does not get its house in order by November 17.
If the match goes ahead as scheduled, the wicket should offer plenty of help to the spinners. This is where Anil Kumble picked up all 10 wickets in an innings back in 1999. And the pitch has been spinner-friendly in recent years as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picked up five-wicket hauls here against Australia in 2013, while Australia’s Nathan Lyon picked up a career-best 7/94. Amit Mishra and South African spinner Imran Tahir also fared well while playing for Delhi Daredevils at the IPL this year.
However, a surprise may be in store if the match is moved to the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Not much is known about the pitch, with the venue having hosted just a single ODI and Twenty20 International so far. But IPL matches played here indicate a flat surface conducive for run-making.
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