NEW DELHI: India and Bangladesh are adjusting their training strategies in Chennai ahead of the first Test starting on Thursday. They initially trained on a red-soil pitch for two days but switched to a black-soil pitch on Tuesday.
The red-soil pitch is likely to offer support to fast bowlers. However, the black-soil composition may benefit spinners as the match continues. The Chennai weather, currently very hot and expected to reach the late 30s, could impact the pitch condition.
"It's really hot here in Chennai for the last couple of weeks, with temperature touching late 30s. Even though I heard that the pitch is sufficiently getting watered, the extreme heat could lead to its disintegration as the match progresses. It will bring the spinners into action as the match moves on," a veteran curator told PTI.
Indian batsmen have had recent struggles against spin, notably against Sri Lankan bowlers, and are focusing on improving their performance.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged this, saying, "We got undone in Sri Lanka. The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England, (so) that we've kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit."
India's upcoming practice sessions include an optional net session on Wednesday.
The team must decide between an additional spinner or a third pacer for the first Test, with the pitch expected to favor faster bowlers.
Selecting three pacers aligns with India's preparation for the upcoming tour to Australia in November.
The red-soil pitch is likely to offer support to fast bowlers. However, the black-soil composition may benefit spinners as the match continues. The Chennai weather, currently very hot and expected to reach the late 30s, could impact the pitch condition.
"It's really hot here in Chennai for the last couple of weeks, with temperature touching late 30s. Even though I heard that the pitch is sufficiently getting watered, the extreme heat could lead to its disintegration as the match progresses. It will bring the spinners into action as the match moves on," a veteran curator told PTI.
🗣️🗣️ Every game becomes important because of what is at stake.#TeamIndia Captain @ImRo45 ahead of the #INDvBAN Test series opener 👌👌@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/TkcGCDZuYT
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2024
Indian batsmen have had recent struggles against spin, notably against Sri Lankan bowlers, and are focusing on improving their performance.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged this, saying, "We got undone in Sri Lanka. The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England, (so) that we've kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit."
India's upcoming practice sessions include an optional net session on Wednesday.
The team must decide between an additional spinner or a third pacer for the first Test, with the pitch expected to favor faster bowlers.
Selecting three pacers aligns with India's preparation for the upcoming tour to Australia in November.
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