Three pitches have been kept ready at Chepauk as India checked in on Monday with the noise from their loss to South Africa in Ahmedabad still ringing loud. The 76-run defeat means India’s next two fixtures – against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday and against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday – have become must-win matches for the team hoping to become the first to defend the ICC T20 World Cup title.
Having played high-risk cricket in the lead-up to the tournament, India haven’t found the same batting rhythm at any of the venues they have played so far. While the form of the top order has added to their problems, they have found it hard to adjust to the surfaces rolled out for their games. Having preferred to play on flat decks since Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir began their tenure with an eye on this tournament, pitches for the mega event haven’t been to their liking.
However, India could be in their comfort zone in Chennai as far as conditions go. The Indian Express understands that three strips – one with red soil, and two with predominantly black soil content – have been kept ready for the match and the final decision will be taken on Tuesday. While one of the black soil pitches is devoid of any grass, the other has a green tinge, a common sight across venues this World Cup. Right through the tournament, the groundstaff have left a bit of grass cover to ensure there is an even contest between bat and ball.
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However, whichever pitch is chosen, it promises to be batting-friendly. In the group stage, where six matches were played at Chepauk, the lowest total by a team batting first was 173 with 200 being the highest. In the opening fixture, Afghanistan’s total of 182/6 was chased down by New Zealand with 13 deliveries to spare. And in the last fixture played on a red-soil surface, Afghanistan racked up 200/4.
One aspect has stood out – the surfaces have offered good bounce, which the batsmen have enjoyed to swing through the line. It is what India’s batsmen have been accustomed to in the lead-up to the tournament. For a venue which used to be a favourite for spinners even in T20s, there has been a drastic change in character since the pitch was relaid four years ago. Instead, totals between 180-200 have become the norm.
Surface tension
The pitches have been in focus as India have been left puzzled by the conditions they have encountered so far. Since their opening match against the USA in Mumbai, where the batting line-up showed its first signs of wobble, India haven’t had any surface to their liking.
At Delhi and Ahmedabad – where they played their last two matches on home turf – the pitches have been on the slower side. Having embraced a high-risk, aggressive approach, India are yet to show they have a Plan B on pitches where the ball tends to stop. That their third Super Eights match is at Eden Gardens, where the curator hasn’t usually rolled out pitches to the liking of the hosts (at least in the IPL), means India have had to overcome the conditions.
Like South Africa, who played three matches in Ahmedabad before playing India on Sunday, the West Indies too have had a hang of the conditions in Kolkata, having already played two matches there in the tournament. India, at home, don’t enjoy that luxury. While none of the venues are new to them, there are whispers that the conditions at the T20 World Cup and what they face during the IPL are chalk and cheese.
Going into the match against Zimbabwe, India are understood to be having a re-look at their strategy. With their top three all being left-handers and opponents arriving with a set plan of unleashing off-spinners, the team management is contemplating whether to break the pattern in Chennai. There are discussions about including Sanju Samson at the top to break the monopoly with Rinku Singh likely to make way.
Both Zimbabwe and West Indies have off-spinners in their ranks and India have reached a point where they don’t want to brush the concerning form of the top order under the carpet. On Monday, players were given a day off and for the next couple of days, the onus will be on the think-tank to come up with a line-up that provides balance as well as one that is equipped to face all conditions.
