The Kanpur curators have reportedly prepared two different pitches for the second and final Test between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium, starting Friday. One is the traditional black soil pitch of Kanpur, which is known to assist the spinners. This gets lower and slower as the game progresses but is generally good for batting in the first two days.
According to Rev Sports, the other pitch is similar to Chennai’s, where the ball zipped through on the first two days. On Day 2 of the first Test in Chennai, 17 wickets fell — the most in a day at the venue. Both teams’ top orders struggled in the first innings. If it weren’t for that record seventh-wicket partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, then India could well have been in a lot of trouble.
The final call is likely to come from the Indian team management headed by captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Considering the strong spin attack of Bangladesh and their batters’ familiarity against the turning ball, one shouldn’t rule out the possibility of another Chennai-like pitch that brings India’s pacers, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep into play.
But if Gambhir and Rohit decide to use the traditional slow pitch, India may change their playing XI by bringing in left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav in place of Akash Deep.
Green Park curator says ideal pitch on the cards
The Green Park curator said on Wednesday that the wicket for the second Test between India and Bangladesh will be an ideal five-day pitch that will assist pacers in the first two sessions and aid spinners on the last three days.
“There will be that Chennai match feeling. It will have something for everyone. It will offer bounce in the first two sessions and it will be pretty good for batting for the first two days. Then, the spinners will come into play on the last three days,” curator Shiv Kumar told PTI.
India had thrashed Bangladesh by 280 runs in the opening Test in Chennai.
The black soil for the Green Park pitch, as always, has been sourced from Kali Mitti village near Unnao, which is 23km from Kanpur.
The pitches made from black soil traditionally assist spinners, while red soil helps the pacers. The pitch is expected to play low and slow.
“We get this soil tested from the Indian Institute of Technology. It’s a special soil that is found near a pond in village Kali Mitti. It (bringing black soil from the village) is a practice we have been following for years,” said an UPCA official.
