Hyderabad: India’s concern for the pitch has been nothing less than deciding the eleven to field in a Test match during the current home season, and the 22-yard strip at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here in Uppal is getting as much attention a day before the second Test against Australia.
It’s been learned that the Uppal curator had given the Indian team two pitches to choose from, and it took MS Dhoni & Co just one training session on Thursday to make up their mind and point at the drier of the two surfaces.
But going by history, the track at Hyderabad is know to be classical in nature, with initial assistance for the seamers and some bite for the spinners on days four and five, but still not of the nature that was on show in Chennai last week, where India raced to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory to take 1-0 lead in the four-Test series.
Taking a look at the recent matches played at the venue, all the Ranji Trophy games played here this season resulted in drawn affairs – indicating there are runs available for batsmen as well as wickets for the bowlers if they bend their back. But will MS Dhoni be willing to be so generous? Not at all, especially when you take Dhoni’s open demands for turners and the following numbers into consideration.
Spinners bowled 193 of the 226 overs India sent down in the two Australian innings in Chennai – 103 out of 133 in the first innings and a staggering 90 out of 93 in the second, when R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh opened bowling on the MA Chidambaram dust bowl.
Easy to sum up that Australia are in for another trial by spin in Hyderabad.
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