Play three fast bowlers or three spinners? Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir will have to make that call when they sit down to finalise India’s XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting on September 19 in Chennai.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Chepauk pitch will be a red-soil one, with quality bounce and carry. The burning hot temperatures in Chennai, though, are bound to ensure spin will play the dominant hand as the Test grows old. However, the fast bowlers, it is understood, are expected to pose danger throughout the game as the pitch and the conditions are expected to facilitate reverse swing, too.
There has been some chatter about whether India would use the Bangladesh series, and even the New Zealand series that follows, as a preparation ground for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. And whether the BCCI would instruct the curators to prepare seamer-friendly pitches. However, it is learned no such message has been sent by the board or the team management.
The key difference between the two surfaces in 2021 was the nature of the soil. The pitch for the first Test comprised purely red soil and did not break until late in the match. The pitch for the second Test, though, had a base layer comprising red soil and a top layer of black cotton soil, which started to crumble under the sun, allowing Ashwin, Jadeja and debutant Axar to dominate.
Three years later, though, the surface at Chepauk is different. Of the nine pitches on the square, three are made of red soil brought from Mumbai. The Mumbai variant, used at the Wankhede stadium, is known for aiding true bounce for both fast and spin bowlers. India started their training on both red- and black-soil pitches available on the square at the MA Chidambaram stadium, but on Monday, they practised exclusively on a red-soil pitch. Bangladesh, who arrived in the city yesterday, have so far trained on a black-soil pitch.
The chances of India playing a third fast bowler are higher in Chennai than in Kanpur, the venue for the second Test. The Green Park pitch, which is made of black soil, has generally been a turning track.
