World Cup 2023: Brown black soil pitch may prompt India to play three spinners vs Australia | Cricket News
The Chepauk pitch to be used for Sunday’s World Cup game between India and Australia sports a brown colour after the groundstaff shaved off the grass. It is likely that a predominantly black soil surface – which the Indian team usually prefers – will be used for their first match of the tournament, which may prompt the home team to play three spinners.Most Read
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Because of the soaring temperatures, the groundstaff had the pitch covered throughout Thursday afternoon to prevent it from breaking. But after their training session, India skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid took a hard look at the surface. In the evening, soon after the thick blanket that was covering the pitch was removed, a light roller was used but no watering was done. In case conditions remain unchanged, the pitch is likely to be on the drier side and conducive for spinners.
During the training session, Ravichandran Ashwin, who replaced Axar Patel in the final World Cup squad, was among the first to hit the nets along with Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli, taking throwdowns from head coach Dravid. Apart from batting for about 45 minutes, Ashwin bowled to Suryakumar Yadav and Kohli for an extensive period and was seen troubling the former with his guile and variations.
With skipper Rohit stating that the team would like to have batting depth, India are set to alter between a three-spinners/three-pacer combination, along with the seam bowling option of Hardik Pandya. Ashwin and seamer Shardul Thakur, handy with the bat, are likely to be competing for a spot in the XI.
